Survival
by Kirei Baka Kasumi
Summary: After the Maru crashes, three of the crew members will have to fight for their lives, with no one to trust but eachother.
1. The Beginning, Drift, and Planet

Omg... A new story! Yes! Be proud! I couldnt help it. I had to get it out of my head sooner or later. So here u go!  
  
Summery: After the Maru crashes, three of the crew will have to fight to survive, with no one to trust but eachother.  
  
Chapter One  
  
---  
  
"Rommie!" Harper called after the avatar.  
  
She ignored him and kept walking.  
  
"Rommie!" he whined, catching up to her.  
  
"Yea Harper?"  
  
"Whens the next drift coming up? Im running out fo stuff, and you're running out of ammo." he pointed out as they made their way to the Maru's docking bay.  
  
"Im going down with Rhade and Dylan right now." she said, stopping to face him in the corridor. "The drift is over a jungle planet, and wont let warships within the planets orbit easily. So you, Beka and Trance stay here, and we should be back within three to four hours. Okay?"  
  
"Alright. Have fun." he said, giving her a small smile as she turned and headed off towards the Maru with Dylan and Rhade.  
  
-  
  
"Were leaving..." Rommie trailed off, pushing some buttons infront of her.  
  
"Have fun!" Trance said, waving at Rommie though the communication link.  
  
"Bring me back some candy Rom-Doll!" Harper joined, smiling as she rolled her eyes at his request.  
  
"Damage my ship, and I'll kill you." Beka said happily, no seriousness in her voice at all.  
  
"Relax." Rommie said. "We'll be back soon." she said, closing the link and opening a slip stream portal.  
  
Once out of slip stream, they easily spotted the drift and set a course.  
  
"Not bad piloting Rommie." Rhade said. She was able to go through the four jumps easily. "Beka'll be proud."  
  
Rommie couldnt help but smile. "Thanks."  
  
"So, did Harper say we were running low on ammo?" Dylan asked, running over a few things on the control pannel infront of him.  
  
"Yea. He also said that he needed more stuff to make spare ammo." Rommie said, turning to face her captain.  
  
"Good. The Maru's running low too, so we can do Beka a favour while were down there."  
  
"Fine by me." Rhade said, sitting back and relaxing.  
  
-Three hours later-  
  
"Done?"  
  
"Yup." Rommie awnsered Dylan. "Everythings accounted for, and Rhade's waiting."  
  
"Good." he said, then turned to the young man infront of him. "Thanks for your help." he said, paying the man and heading off to the Maru with Rommie.  
  
She got the Maru out of the drift and slowly started out of the planets orbit, but someone shot at them.  
  
"Who was that?" Rhade asked, his eyes glued to the control pannel infront of him.  
  
"Incoming message." the Maru's computer said, a face appearing on the screen infront of Rommie.  
  
"Eureka Maru, surrender and prepare to be boarded." the man said calmly.  
  
"You know, I'd love to play, but my curfews almost up and I dont want to get grounded." Rommie said sweetly, manuvering the Maru to go past the ship, but they moved infront of them again.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" the man said angrily. "Surrender or be destroyed!"  
  
Rommie sighed, turning to look for advice from the two men behind her. They only shrugged. "I know I'm going home. Bye." she said firmly, closing the link and passing the ship.  
  
As they made their way off, the ship behind them shot more rounds at them. One was able to hit the loading bay, and the Maru's missile ports. As a chain reaction to the power of the hit, the missiles in both places exploded, causing the ship to stear out of control.  
  
"We've lost all ammuntion." Dylan said.  
  
"Rommie! Were losing power!" Rhade said, watching as Rommie started pushing buttons. "Were being pulled into the planet."  
  
"The controls are locked!" Rommie said franticly. This wasnt supposed to happen.  
  
"Identification." the Maru's computer demanded.  
  
"Eureka Maru, this is the Andromeda Ascendent's avatar, unlock all conrtols, now!" Rommie demanded, trying the controls again.  
  
"Andromeda Ascendent avatar." it repeated. "Granted."  
  
There was a _'click'_ as all controls were unlocked, but it didnt help much.  
  
"They're stuck!"  
  
"Were going through the atmosphere!"  
  
"This isnt good! Try something else Rommie!"  
  
"I cant Dylan!" Rommie said, again pulling back one the controls. "Nothings working!"  
  
"Forget it and prepare for impact!"  
  
-  
  
Outside a village in the jungle covered planet, a young girl sat on a hill. A loud, hissing sound coming fromt the sky caught her attention. She looked up to see what looked like a giant commet soar through the sky and hit the ground. Hard. A tremor shook the ground under her from its location as a giant wave of dirt could be seen reaching for the sky.  
  
"Whoa..."  
  
---  
  
Well, thats the first chapter. Hate it? Love it? Whatever, review, and I might just update for ya!! 


	2. We're all dead'

Ahh yes... Chapter two. This is for Ash and prin69.  
  
Dont own Andromeda... -.-  
  
---  
  
"Rommie? Rommie?" Dylan asked. He had just woken up from the crash. The pure force from it had knocked everyone out, but Rhade was able to come around easily. The young avatar was still strapped into the front seat and hadnt moved at all. Rhade had gone off just a little while ago to check out what the ship looked like and if there were any towns or cities at all near by.  
  
When he came back from looking at the Maru, he didnt say anything but grabbed Dylan's arm and lead him outside.  
  
To say what he saw easily, they're assassination papers were already signed, and Beka was going to have a heart attack.  
  
-  
  
"We're dead."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Think she'll forgive us if we say sorry?"  
  
"Dream on Rhade."  
  
"What if we pay her?"  
  
"She'll kill me, take over Andromeda, then maybe, if you're lucky, send you out the air lock."  
  
"What about Rommie?"  
  
"She wont touch her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Rommie can kick her ass and she knows it."  
  
-  
  
Ever since then, they've been trying to wake her up, or atleast get her out of the seat she was strapped into.  
  
"Come on Rommie, wake up!" he said out of frustration, not really expecting her to do anything like she had been for that past 15 minutes, but she moved slightly. "Rommie?" he said again, reaching out to her shoulder. Her hand snapped back and grabbed his quickly as if on a reflex before he was able to touch her.  
  
"Oh." she said after she turned her head to see who it was. "Sorry."  
  
"Its alright, can you move?"  
  
She reached over to her left and started to slowly push buttons, making the seat move back. She un-strapped heself from the seat, and stood, then almost fell.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Broken ankel. I'll be fine." she looked around. "Where's Rhade?"  
  
"Went exploring. He'll be back soon."  
  
"Good. Are you two okay?" she asked, concern writen all over her face.  
  
"Few cuts and bruses, but were alright."  
  
"Good."  
  
--  
  
"Andromeda, and sight of the Maru yet?" Beka asked. Her friends were over an hour late, and it wasnt like them to be late without word of anything. Espisally Rommie and Dylan. And the fact that she couldnt do anything didnt help very much either.  
  
"Hey boss." Harper said, appearing out of nowhere like he usually did. "Whats wrong?"  
  
"They havent come back yet. Its not like them being late."  
  
"Relax, they probably just ran into some traffic."  
  
"Traffic in space Harper?"  
  
"Well.." he said, looking around for Trance to back him up. She always got him out of stuff. "You know what I mean!"  
  
"Hey guys." Trance said, coming out of nowhere like Harper did only seconds ago.  
  
'You're two seconds late Trance.' Harper thought.  
  
"Trance, have you heard anything about the Maru? Dylan, Rhade, and Rommie are late, and its not like them to be late like this." Beka said. She was worried. Worried about her firends. Worried about what he poor ship might look like when it comes back...  
  
"Dont worry Beka. Maybe the drift is busy." Trance said, using her tone that always made anyone that heard it relax somewhat and believe her words easily. Truthfully, she was just as worried about them as Beka was herself. She knew it wasnt like them to not keep the time limit that they said they would. But maybe she should just believe her own words.  
  
"See Beka. The drift must be busy. Relax. They'll be back soon." Harper said confidently, patting Beka's shoulder.  
  
"Harpers right Beka." Trance said, backing up her own words. "They'll be home soon, and the Maru will be in one piece."  
  
--  
  
"Im dead." Rommie sighed, looking at the Maru for the first time.  
  
"No, Beka wont touch you, I'm gonna get shot, and Rhade's going out the air lock."  
  
"But before all of that, shes gonna have a heart attack."  
  
"True true."  
  
"Either way, we're dead."  
  
"True true, true true."  
  
"I'm back!" Rhade called, walking up to the two. "I found a village. It's alot of walking, but its a place to call Trance and tell her what happend."  
  
"As long as Beka doesnt awnser, we should be okay." Dylan said.  
  
"Until we get home, that is." Rhade said grimly. He could picture the evil of all evil smirks on Beka's face as she waved good bye and sent him out one of Andromeda's air locks and into the sun.  
  
"Alright." Rommie spoke up. "Lets go."  
  
They all started walking off into the forest that Rhade came from, all thinking they're own thoughts, ending with the same.  
  
'Im going to be shot by my own first officer.'  
  
'That crazy womens gonna kill me.'  
  
'Shes going to shoot us all as soon as she recovers from the outmost shock.'  
  
'We're all dead.'  
  
---  
  
Not that happy with this chapter.. you could say it a filler for the next one. review! 


	3. The Kajaku Village

This is for all the people at have reviewed, and all the people that are actually reading this. THANK YOU!  
  
Yea... I wasnt so happy about that last chapter. I had writers block, so you can count that as a filler.  
  
OMG!!! I dont own Andromeda! Thats something new! -sarcasim-  
  
heres your chapter.  
  
-Chapter three-  
  
"Are you sure we're going the right way Rhade?" Rommie asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. They had been walking for almost three hours and hadnt come across anything. He said that it was a long walk, but it couldnt have taken him three hours, there and back.  
  
"I know what I saw." he grumbled, ever so offten looking left and right. He had just taken this pathway and it did NOT take him this long to get to that village he found! Its was a small village just beyond a cliff. Villages do not just get up and walk away!  
  
"Okay..." Rommie said, glancing over at Dylan. He too was looking around. Not that he was doubting Rhade's words, but something just didnt really feel right to him. Like something was wrong with the woods they were stepping through.  
  
There was a rustling of leaves behind them, making the three CommonWealth officers stop in thier tracks, and spin around, weapons raised to...  
  
Nothing.  
  
There was nothing behind them but trees and bushes.  
  
Unexpectedly, Rommie quickly turned around and kick someone in the jaw, only to have them grab her foot and twist it, making her fall onto the forest floor. Dylan and Rhade turned around, aiming at the man before them, only to see a young boy, looking no older then 14 with a gun to Rommie's head.

"Andromeda are you sure?"  
  
"For the last time Beka, I'm positive!" Andromeda's hologram said forcefully, yet trying to sound somewhat soft and proffesional. After all, Beka was her first officer. Even thought she had been asking her if she heard any news for the Maru for the last 30 mintues, she was her first officer...  
  
"I'm just worried about them..." Beka trailed off, looking around the deck. She was up there alone, with only Andromeda. Harper was keeping himself busy in his machine shop, and Trance was relaxing in her quarters.  
  
"I know." Andromeda said soothingly. "I am too, but you have to believe in them. They'll get back. And if they arent back in another four hours, Trance can take out a slip fighter with Harper and go to the drift, and see if anyone saw anything happen."  
  
"I dont know... Harper has a big mouth, and might get beat badly down there..."  
  
"Then you can go, and Trance can stay."  
  
"Thats true... Trance will be okay here, right?"  
  
"Of course. And I'll program the slip fighter so I'll see everything. If anything happends, I'll be there before you can say 'help'."  
  
"Thanks Andromeda." Beka smiled, the first relaxed and happy smile for a while.

"Who are you?" the child asked. For only looking around 14, he sounded much older.

"Who are you?" Rommie asked back, not taking in the appearence of the young child. There was no way he was human. No one could flip her like that. The only person she could remember getting that close to shooting her was Tyr, and this child wasnt Tyr.

"I dont have to awnser anything you ask." he said, looking down at the android he was currently aiming at.

"We just crash landed, and are looking for some help to get back home." Dylan said calmly. Both him and Rhade were surprise at his show of strength.

"Raki!" a vocie called. Soon, an older looking man came running towards them, but stopped seeing the sceen. "Raki, report!"

"These are the ones that crash landed. They all have some minor cuts and bruses. Shes android. Kicked me, hard. Broken jaw on self." the child, Raki, said, as if he was nothing but a solider talking to his CO.

"Good. Get back and recover the troops. Lead them back to base five, I'll be behind you. Dismissed." he barked out.

Raki gave Rommie one last glance, then lowered his weapon and turned around. With a nod, he jogged back into the woods, leaving Rommie, Dylan, and Rhade with the older man.

"I'm sorry about his non-existent hospitality. I'm Ron Alnar. CO of base 5, for the Kajaku Village." he introduced himself. "That was Raki, our youngest and strongest troop. Android. Its amazing you heard him, even more so you were able to break his jaw."

"Thanks." Rommie said dryly, grabbing Rhades outstreched hand to help pull herself up from the ground. She stood, then once again almost fell.

"He broke your ankel?" he asked, seeing her helplessly fall onto Rhade's shoulder. "If you come follow me, I can take you to village and help each one of you get cleaned up."

They walked for a few hours, finally coming across the cliff Rhade was talking about. Carefully, they walked down the steepness, and into the city.

Done chapter three.

Chapter four -

Harper and Beka get awnsers

Dylan, Rhade and Rommie learn more about where they are

And Raki and Rommie have somethings in commen

Read and Review! Thanks! Byez for now.

Kasumi.

P.S.

Im sorry about the formating, if its a little confussing, but they wont let me do anything better then this at the moment... sorry!


	4. Link and Awnsers

-.- Chapter Four -.-

"Alright Andromeda, you got everything set up?" Beka asked from the front seat of the slip fighter, Harper behind her.

"It's all set up. I see everything you do through the slip fighter, and if you keep your links on, I see everything you do." Andromeda's main AI informed them.

"Good. We're out."

A slip stream portal opened in front of the slip fighter, and it was gone out of the area. In front of Trance, Andromeda showed her everything that was going on through the link on one of her side screens.

"Are you okay Trance?" Andromeda's hologram asked, appearing beside her.

"Yea... I'm just worried." she said truthfully. She missed her friends.

"Don't worry." the AI said reassuringly. "Beka and Harper will hear something, and before you know it everything will be just like it used to."

Trance smiled. "Maybe you're right."

-.-

"Rommie!" Rhade called, running over to the avatar. "You seen Dylan anywhere?" he asked. The villagers had lent him some cargos and a t-shirt in his size.

Once they had gotten to the village, they were told the reason they weren't let in was because of a machine that hid the village from eyes. Apparently, there were some aliens(1) on the planet that would kill anyone they came across. The three were told they were lucky for Raki to find them first.

The aliens were very strong, with even stronger weapons then the small village. At first, the planet only had humans on it, but they soon came, seeing the defenseless humans as some perfect items for target practice. The Kajaku village was only attacked last two days before.

"I think he's talking to Ron by the cliff we came down." Rommie said, herself dressed in a tank top and cargos. "But I'm not sure, why?"

"I found a way to contact Andromeda."

-.-

Beka docked the slip fighter, and herself and Harper quickly got out. They slowly walked through the streets, picking up little parts of conversation they could looking for any mention of their friends, while Andromeda picked up the rest through the link.

"And that little bitch! Thinking she knew more then me!" roared a voice from inside a bar as they passed. Harper stopped and listened some more. "She was on nothing but a little cargo ship! She was acting like she was on some kind of war ship! Pathetic!"

Harper stopped Beka by grabbing her arm, pointing inside the bar for her to listen as the bigger man rambled on.

"She was a pretty little thing... short black hair, read streaks, but a smart mouth. I bet she gets shot by the aliens down there." he said, his buddies agreeing.

Beka and Harper's brain both clicked.

They were talking about Rommie!

Slowly, looking as casual as possible, Beka and Harper walked into the bar and sat at a table across from the rambling men.

"Did you see what she was wearing?" a different man questioned. "Looked skin tight! The girl knows how to dress!" they all laughed and nodded their heads. Harper glared at them from the corner of his eye.

"And that glare she had was even sexier then her annoyed face." another drawled. Slowly, Beka stood up and walked over, grabbing a chair and sitting beside one of the men.

"Hey guys, watcha talkin' about?" she asked, looking around the table.

"Nothin..." the big guy, the one that caught their attention in the first place, said, looking Beka from head to toe.

"You guys wouldn't happen to know about that planet were orbiting, would you?" Beka asked, twirling some of her hair around her finger. She sounded so innocent Harper almost gagged.

"Yea... Some killer aliens are down there. No one dares to go there."

"Wow..." she drawled slowly. "Well, I better get going. Curfews almost up. See you guys later." she said, winking at them and walking out the pubs front door. A few moments later, Harper stepped out and walked over to her as she lent against a brick wall.

"Curfews almost up?" one of the guys said after Harper had left. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"So boss..." Harper trailed off as they walked towards the docking station.

"They were talking about Rommie, saying she'd get shot down there..." Beka trailed off.

"They shot the Maru down to that planet!" Harper exclaimed quietly, eyes wide. Beka didn't even look at him before she ran off to the slip fighter, leaving Harper to run after her as fast as he could.

-.-

"Dylan!" Rommie called as she ran towards him.

Rommie and Rhade had been wandering around looking for him for about an hour around town, to find him with Ron in one of the villages' gardens.

"Yea?"

"Come on, I found a way to contact Andromeda." Rhade said, turning around and sprinting the other way. He led them into a tent in the middle of the village. In the tent, was something that looked like an old satellite that would have been found on Earth years before the fall.

"Alright, Rommie, I need you to take this wire," he said, handing her a wire. "And now I put this here," he said, grabbing the other and putting it into the bottom of his COM link. "Now, I need you to send out a signal to the Andromeda. If she's close, she'll get it. If not, we tried. But once you're sure she has it, tell us, then Dylan, start talking." he said. Rommie closed her eyes, and small blue lights started to light up on the outside of the satellite. When she opened her eyes, she nodded.

They had a link.

-.-

"Any news Andromeda?" Trance asked as she paced around command. She just couldn't stay still waiting for word from any of her friends.

"No, not yet Trance." Andromeda said. "But - there is a signal coming from the planet. Seems to be a communication link."

"Open it!" Trance said quickly. Something in the back of her mind said it could be good news from Dylan and Rhade.

Andromeda opened it, but it was nothing but a black screen.

"Hello?" Trance called.

"T-T-Trance?"

"Dylan!" Trance said happily. It was about time they heard from their missing friends.

"Trance, y-you there?"

"Yea! Are you guys alright?"

"Were f-fine. W-were on the pl-lanet. T-tell - " he said, but there was nothing but a line of static, followed by a click.

"Dylan?"

"The link was cut." Andromeda said, replacing the black screen. "From what I could make out, he said that they're fine, and on the planet. The rest I couldn't understand before it was cut from the surface." she paused. "But, Beka and Harper are only three light minutes out. They have news."

"Tell them I'll meet them at the hanger."

-.-

"Trance?" Dylan said again. He had just finished telling her that they were alright, but she didn't respond to his request. Then, out of no where, a spark flew from Rommies hand. She dropped the wire and fell to her knees.

"Rommie?!" Rhade and Dylan said, rushing over to her. She opened her eyes and slowly shook her head. "You okay?"

"Yea... There was a short circuit... The technologies old... I just had to do a small bypass. It should repair itself within a few hours." she smiled reassuringly.

"Did they get the message?" Rhade asked after a moment while Dylan helped Rommie to her feet.

"I'm sure she got the first part, but after that I can't tell." Rommie answered. "Its _really_ old technology."

"As long as they got they got some of it. Lets go."

-.-

End Chapter

-.-

YAY! I updated... and I got the B Honor Roll. Go ME! But I'm running out of ideas for the story... So if ya wanna help out... Heh heh -.-;;;;

-.-

Reviews

-.-

Awohali -

Yea, I am still updating... From time to time... Heh heh. But I'm happy you like it! Thanx!

Oenone -

Yea... I like horror movies to. And I'm really srry about the formatting. I know it might had been a little confusing, but the site was having some problems with me updating... kinda pissed me off... -.-;

Hope -

Thank you. And I guess I forgot Rommie can't pilot Slipstream... OOPS! Srryz, but thanks for reminding me!

Wildfire's Flame -

Why thank you. I couldn't think of anything, and well, Beka doesn't like it when Dylan brings the Maru back looking like it could blow up at anytime.

WarAdmiral -

Thanks for the review!

parisindy -

Thanx!

prin69 -

Thank you. I thought that would kinda sound like Harper. Hope ya like this chapter too!

Ash -

Thanks for the review!

-.-

Now... Review PLZ!!


	5. Of the Unexpected

Alright, Heres chapter Five! Yay! It didnt take me a month! Yay! My science teacher stopped being so bitchy! Yay! I have extra time now! Yay! Im on the basketball team! Yay! I have practice five out of four days! And I have a game against the best female team in the distric! Ya- Ah shit...

Enough of my ranting! Here's your chapter!

And, if you haven't noticed by now, I don't own Andromeda. Because if I did, in the new 5th season, Rommie wouldn't have blown up, Andromeda would be at 100 percent power, Tyr would be alive with the evil paranoid-ness, and Doyle would get shot, by ME. Get it?

-.- Chapter Five -.-

"Okay, so there were some thugs in a bar?"

"Yup."

"And they were talking about Rommie?"

"Yup."

"How did you know it was Rommie?"

"They described her hair, clothes, and what her personality would be like in that kind of situation." Andromeda interrupted Trance's and Harpers little conversation. "My avatar isn't the type to be pushed around, no matter what kind of situation she might find herself in."

"Alright, so if it was Rommie, Rhade, and Dylan they shot down in the Maru, then why wouldn't they go after them to collect the bounty?" Trance asked.

"Beka and I were talking about that on our way back." Harper said as the two walked up to command. "Not that we've found an answer..."

They walked into command to see Beka with a flexi, obviously waiting for them. "Andromeda, play it." Andromeda played the communication link that she had received earlier so Harper could hear it as well.

"That came from a small village on the surface. When we first received the signal, there was more static, but I was able to get most of it out so that it was easier to understand. It was obviously Dylan's voice, and the only one that could have gotten the signal directly in my direction would be my avatar, since she's the only one who would know my exact location. That leaves Rhade. BeingNietzschean, my best and only conclusion is that he survived." Andromeda said.

"Alright, so they're all alive." Harper concluded. "That's good, now we just need to pick them up."

"That won't be easy." Andromeda said. "The planet has defense systems in the outer atmosphere, which are constantly changing. Anything as big, or bigger, then a slipfighter, will be very hard to get through."

"But we have Beka."

"True. If we were able to get through, on the surface, there are highly trained squads to deal with intruders. They just happened to choose to crash land near the city with the highest trained guards. Safety is not something to be joked about down there."

"Oooookay then..." Harper said. "Why are these people so paranoid?"

"It seems their planet has been invaded by some kind of alien species."

"What kind?"

"Unknown."

"There's a new species of aliens out there?!" Harper exclaimed, totally shocked. "Worse then the ones we know of?!"

"Harper, calm now before you give yourself a heart attack." Andromeda said, her usual high authority voice filling command. "I said _unknown_, I didn't say that it was _absolutely_ unknown. No one has seen what they look like and lived to tell about it. Due to the low technology they have on the surface, their armor isn't as strong as it should be to deflect the most standard weapons."

"So... then how did the Maru make it through these 'impossible to get through' defeneces without blowing up?" Beka spoke up.

"They only disable the ships controls, making the ship crash land. The thugs in the bar shot out their controls, and they were pulled into the planet by its gravity. Their controls were either already out, or were by the time they entered the planets atmosphere."

"We're going to need a plan aren't we?" Harper asked.

"Yes Harper." Trance said. "A very _very_ good one."

-.-

"This is the most boring planet I have encountered yet..." Rhade said, kicking a rock he had found into the outer forest that surrounded the village.

"It's a small planet without much technology Rhade." Rommie said, tossing him another rock to kick around. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know..." he answered truthfully. "What do the kids do around here?"

"Are you saying that you, Telemachus Rhade, want to play with children?"

"No... I'm just... Bored."

"Are you sure that's it Rhade?"

"Shut up Rommie." Rhade said, lightly throwing a rock at her, which she easily caught. "Want to go walk around?"

"Sure."

-

The two walked around for a little while before running into Dylan and Ron, the two still discussing the same subject they were before they had dragged Dylan away to send Andromeda the communication link. They sat around, listening to some of the conversation, but then Ron's communicator went off.

"Sir! We have Aliens! North of the city!"

"Get Group A of Base 5 out there now! Raki has full command, set off alarms!" Ron ordered, Rommie and Rhade instantly jumping to their feet and rushing over.

"What was that?" Rhade asked. Rommie stopped him and put her hand up to stop anyone else from talking.

"What is it Rommie?" Dylan asked.

"Something... From the south. I've heard it before." she said quickly, drawing her force lance and extending it to its full length.

"I can't hear it." Rhade said.

"It's quiet..." Rommie said, slowly taking a step forward. "They're planning something."

"I'll send out Group B." Ron said, but stopped when Rhade covered his mouth with his hand.

"No, you won't."

"Rommie, go deal with our friends at the south, Rhade, go with her. Ron, you're with me." Dylan said, the two parties running off in opposite directions.

-

"Raki! Alec's down!"

"Raki! Kale's down!"

"Raki! Nro was shot down from the left!"

"Raki! Carter's down! Shot from the right!"

These were only some of the screams Raki's brain had to listen to while trying to find where these aliens were shooting from. They had gone out there strong, ready to fight, with 30 men. They were down to 15, and not one alien had been shot down yet. They couldn't see them, let alone know where they were shooting from.

"Fall back!" Raki called out, everyone listing to him and slowly edging back towards some of the bigger rocks behind them they had set up for cover over the years. "Come on! Back!"

Just as everyone that was left got behind the rocks, and small circular red light flew over them, hitting a tree. Suddenly, Ron and Dylan showed up on either side of Raki.

"What are you doing here?" he asked them.

"Just thought you might like some help."

-

Rommie stood behind a tree, Rhade within eye sight to the left of her. She slowly looked over her right shoulder into the forest. It didn't look like anyone was there but them, but she could hear them. Even Rhade could. It was something they had heard before... Though they couldn't remember exactly what.

Both Rommie and Rhade slowly stepped out from behind the trees, heading towards each other, looking around cautiously. The mumbling of their opponents was coming from all directions, making it hard to point out exactly where they were hiding.

'This isn't right.' Rhade thought, looking around. 'Someone should be shooting at us by now.'

'Where and what are they?!' Rommie kept repeating in her head. She knew she had heard them before, whether it be last week or 300 years ago, and not knowing was driving her insane.

By the time there were four trees between the two, a small streak of sliver caught Rommie's eye. She looked off in the other direction, not sure if she really saw anything at all. But there, high up in the trees, was something that resembled a gauss gun, silver, reflecting the sun light, aimed directly at Rhade.

-

Dylan moved quickly and shot out at the trees, not exactly knowing where he should be aiming. He sat back down behind the rocks, counting to twenty before turning around and shooting again. Suddenly, there was a sound of crunching leaves behind them, heading farther away from their location.

"They're leaving." Raki concluded, slowly standing up, everyone who was left following his lead.

Slowly, every so often looking behind them, they walked back into the quiet city, a troop going off to turn off the light alarms.

Dylan looked around and watched as the villagers slowly came out of their safe hiding places underground, looking for two familiar faces. He waited a minute before taking off in the south direction.

-

Rommie looked one more time at the gun before running at Rhade. Several gun shots could be heard as she ran and pushed him the the ground, putting herself between him and shooter. Acting quickly, Rhade grabbed her arm and pulled her up along with him, running to the cover of a thick willow tree.

"Thanks." he said, looking out towards the tree the shots had come from.

"Don't mention it."

"Are you okay?" Rhade asked quietly, watching as her arm slowly went limp by her side. Rommie in turn nodded her head, aiming her force lance exactly where she had seen the first gun come out from the tree.

"Nothing I can't handle." she replied, firing the weapon. About fifty feet away, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground was heard, as well as retreating feet on the ground.

-.- End Chapter -.-

Now, before I get to reviews, which I like to do, I have to say something. In the last chapter, there's a (1) on the story. It's because I was gonna explain something, but forgot about it before I posted it. (And to think, **I **got on the honor roll...) But, I simply put them as aliens because of this primitive planet I have made up. Same as this chapter. I didnt say Magog, Kaldarens(Or however u spell it), or any other evil aliens that have tried to blow up the pretty big star ship, because the planet has no technology WHAT-SO-EVER. Think of the planet as an Earth back before we had TV and computers. ( How did people live back then?! O.o;;; )

Now, enough with my ranting and on to reviews.

nina -

Heh Heh.... action....

Hey! At least Rhade almost got shot at, and, Rommie did or might have killed some unknown alien... Heh heh.... O! Thanks for the review!! lol.

Jade Rhade -

Now why would I be sick of ya? If you want to review for every chapter, feel free! I aint gonna stop ya! I like reviews!! And thats for all four of yours! Dont forget to review!!

prin69 -

Wow, thanks for the compliments and the acnoligment!! I didnt think anyone would even care about that... Heh heh. And yes, I had to put the cerfuw thing in... Its funny, and shows how stupid those guys are. We'll meet up with them again a little bit later....

Oenone -

Thanks for the review! And about the romance idea... If you'd like... I could concider it, but I'd need a pairing if you'd like to sugest one! All sugestions are always concidered, keep that in mind. Thanks!

Once again! Thank you!

IMPORTANT!

What aliens do you want the planet to be infested with....? Name one, and the one that comes up the most will be it.

Thank yous!

Dont forget to click the pretty purple button and review! Byez!


	6. Can You Say 'Idiotic Annoyance'

Hello! Sorry it took me so long to update, but I had exams, which I hopefully passed oO;

I own nothing... Please, use your brain...

-.- Chapter Six -.-

"God dammit Andromeda!" Beka yelled, smacking the side of the consol she was at in frustration. "We've been through this a million times and we _still_ haven't figured out a way to get down there!"

"Number one," the main AI said, appearing on the front screen.

"Ow." Andromeda's hologram finished, now standing beside Beka with her arms crossed.

"Number two," the main AI said again after her hologram blinked out. "It's only been 30 minutes Beka. Maybe you should take a break. Go take a nap. I'll find a way."

"I don't need a nap." Beka hissed. "Do not treat me like child!"

"I'm not, but I don't need you passing out or having a heart attack from the stress you're putting yourself through!" Andromeda said, her voice unusually louder.

"Your blood pressure is slowly rising, and your pulse has increased to a rate that I do not like at the moment. Take a break." her hologram said, appearing where she was before.

Beka looked around. She did feel like the temperature had gone up in the room quiet a bit, and her head was starting to throb. "Fine." she said, and started walking to the door.

"Oh, and Andromeda?" she asked before she left command.

"Yes?"

"Sorry about hitting... you." she said, not quite knowing what to say.

"Its alright." Andromeda said. "I didn't hurt that much." with a final smile, Beka left, and Andromeda's hologram turned to the image of her main AI.

"Now." she said. "There has to be a way to get through this."

-

Harper slowly walked into Hydroponics, smiling slightly at all of the small trees and blooming flowers. He had been in Engineering, which had quickly gotten boring. Andromeda had nothing that needed to be repaired. Something very _very_ rare. So, he decided to talk to Trance.

"Hi Harper." she said once he found his way to her while she watered some flowers.

"Hello my former purple princess." Harper said, looking around at the different plants. "What's up?"

"Nothing, though I could be asking you that..." she said, turning around and smiling at her friend.

"Umm... Well..." Harper stuttered. "You don't... see anything coming... do you?"

"No, not at the moment." Trance said, smiling softly at her friend. Sometimes he could be so curious. "But, if I do, I'll tell you."

"Good to know." he smiled. "Now, what is that?" Harper asking, pointing behind her at a patch of big white flowers she had just finished watering.

"Lilies. They're rare."

"They're pretty."

"I know... But I don't have alot."

"Harper, Trance," Andromeda said, standing off to the side of the two, "I've spotted a cargo ship about 40 light minutes out, which has been traveling at a constant speed towards us."

"When did you notice it?" Trance asked.

"Three minutes ago, but then it was going past us. Then, it slowly pulled a u-turn and still hasn't changed its course."

"Has it hailed us?"

"No, not yet."

"So, it's of no threat, but headed towards us?"

"Yes."

"Where's Beka?" Harper asked.

"In her quarters relaxing. She needed a break."

"Alright, if they get closer or try anything, tell us." Trance said. Andromeda nodded once and then disappeared.

-

Dylan stood in the middle of the city, looking for any familiar faces. There were so many people out and crowding the streets, he couldn't see anyone he knew.

"Captain Hunt!" called a solider as he, and three others, jogged up to him through the crowed. "We understand you're looking for you comrades, the man and women you came with."

"Yea, I can't see them anywhere."

"Two seconds sir, and we'll have a path." he said, but before the soldiers could move, the people started gasping and moving away making a path.

"What the...?" Dylan caught one whisper as he too stood in shock and watched as Rhade dragged something into the city behind him, while Rommie trained her extended force lance on it while walking a few feet behind.

"Dylan!" Rhade called, stopping a few feet away from him and flipping the ugliest alien they had seen yet over his shoulder, Rommie coming around.

"Hunted," Rommie said, making eye contact with Ron as he ran up to Dylan and his soldiers, "meet Hunter." she said, kicking the seemingly unconscious alien.

"Why the bloody hell is that!"

-

"Beka." Andromeda greeted as Beka stepped onto command.

"Hello." she said, looking over to Trance and Harper as she took the middle control consol. "What did I miss?"

"There's a small cargo ship headed towards us, approximately 20 light minutes out." Harper said.

"Have they hailed us?"

"No, not yet."

"They don't seem to be any sort of threat, though if they are, all tubes are loaded." Trance said.

"Alright. Then, how about we hail them instead of waiting another 20 years?" Beka asked, getting nods from the two. "Alright, Andromeda, open a link."

"Hello." said a deep male voice, though no picture came up on the visual screen.

"Hello, I am Beka Valentine, acting captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, now, who are you?"

"My name is Alexander Duong." the voice said. "That's a mighty nice ship you got there. What's it doing in this rundown system?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Andromeda's hologram mumbled, popping into existence and staring at the currently black screen.

"Three of my crew members went to get a few things we needed from the drift, and were shot down onto the planet." Beka stated, sounding nothing short of professional. "You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"

"Well, a ships always going down there to get things like fossil fuels from the planet and such." Alexander said. "But, what did this ship look like?"

"A simple cargo ship. Named the Eureka Maru."

"Never heard of it." Alexander said, a little to fast for anyone's liking.

"Are you sure?" Andromeda herself asked.

"Of course! Are you accusing me of lying?"

"Technically. Your voice level rose as well as speaking rate when you were confronted with the question."

Andromeda stopped, the black screen going back to is original state.

"They closed the link and are firing."

Beka, Trance and Harper all stood, holding onto their consoles, waiting for impact. Though, nothing came. "Ummm... Andromeda... missiles? Contact? Boom? Shock waves?" Harper stated, looking thoroughly confused.

"They made contact." she said simply.

"Boom?"

"They were weak. I had to do a quick double check to make sure they actually _did_ make contact."

"This system must be very behind in technology if Andromeda hardly even felt it." Trance said.

"And now they're trying to get away."

"Andromeda! Catch up, and pick them up into deck 5. Seal the deck, and make sure they don't get anywhere." Beka said, turning around and jogging down to deck five to meet with some people that she was sure, were going to prove very difficult to talk to at all.

-

"Let us out of here!"

"No."

"You bloody fucking piece of machinery!"

"I will not be referred to as such."

"You won't be, if you let us out of your dock!"

"Hold." Andromeda inwardly sighed. Her head was starting to hurt. And a warship saying that was not a good thing! "No. You are to stay here. It would have been easier if you stayed onboard your ship -"

"And it would've been even easier if you just let us go on our merry way instead of _kidnapping_ us!"

Andromeda glared at Alexander, this man was becoming an annoyance that just wouldn't shut up. Then, of course, he had these two big men on either side of him, staring at her funny! The nerve! No respect!

"What!" she finally snapped, not being able to take it anymore.

"Dude, look." the one to the left said, poking Andromeda's holographic shoulder, chuckling as her whole image twitched.

"That's funny man." the other one said, both starting to laugh.

Andromeda was floored. Could people be this idiotic!

"Hey, you know what I just noticed?" the second one said.

"What dude?"

"The see-through chick looks just like the other one we shot down earlier today!"

"Dude! She totally does!"

"Bloody hell." Alexander groaned, rubbing his head with his hand. Andromeda's eyebrows shot up. They were the ones that shot down the Maru. Interesting...

"Well, know that we know for sure." Beka said, stepping up behind them after hearing the whole conversation. "You wouldn't mind following me so we could - talk - would you?"

-.- End Chapter -.-

Well, I hoped you like the chapter. I love ALL feedback. ALL.

Reviews for chapter 5...

prin69 -

Thank you. I'm happy you like my story!

Kath -

Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter, and if you want any romance with Rhade, suggestions are always welcome.

Oenone -

Thanks for the review. Hope you like this chapter!

Jade Rhade -

You know, out of all of my stories, your the only person that sends me a review over 1K? So, THANK YOU! lol. I like long reviews... and though I believe I've already said it, I'm happy you like my story. And I don't know if it'll be a Rommie/Rhade romance... it might turn out to be a little like that without me realizing it... lol. And man, I totally know how you feel. I could hardly get on my computer for a full twenty minutes with my mom and dad making me do my homework! So that's why I tried to make this chapter a little longer. Anyways, thanks! Review?

Awohali -

Thank you! I hope you like this one too, review?

Anyways, thank you to all reviewers! Review again? Please? )


	7. In Which Rhade Finds Something To Do

Hello! Guess what? My B-ball season ends after Saturday! (Our last tournament) So, maybe I'll be able to get some extra time on new chapters. -

I don't own Andromeda. Sucks huh?

.Chapter Seven.

"What is that and tell me why it's in the city now" Ron yelled, pointing at the alien a few feet in front of him.

Rhade looked at him. "We hailed Andromeda and asked her to shoot down one of Rommie's extra lab rats just to scare the villagers and see you squirm." he easily said, making it sound like it was the only obvious explanation.

"Wh- wha" Ron stuttered. Never had he heard anyone say something like that to him! Everyone in the city respected him!

"Rommie." Dylan said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was able to shoot down one of the attackers." she said loud enough so Ron would stop his stuttering. "It was in a tree. It could be how they're attacking the city without being seen, due to the full leaves and many branches."

"They're like snipers" one of the soldiers asked, stepping forward. "If we knew that, we could have made a new plan to find their weaknesses."

"No, they're not acting like snipers." Rhade said, addressing the soldier in camouflage. "They don't even have gauss rifles." he said, pulling the aliens weapon from its now slightly twitching hand.

It had the shape of a gauss gun, but it was smaller, and more slender, with a silver chamber and black handle. (Think the kind of guns we have today... . )

"It's close range, and fires 9 mm bullets. The magazine holds sixteen, though this one is empty." Rommie supplied as Dylan took the gun from Rhade.

"How do you know it only holds sixteen" Ron asked, taking the gun and examining it after Dylan was done.

"Call it first hand experience." Rommie said, only getting a confused looked from Ron. Inwardly sighing, she slowly turned, showing all of them the sixteen bullet wounds through her shirt, and across her back.

-

"So, tell me, ho"

"I won't tell you one thing"

"Alright, then at least"

"Not one thing"

"Alexander" Andromeda finally cut it. Without her avatar here to listen to the whining organics that they ran into from time to time, she was now stuck with him, as well as the very quiet Beka, in the conference room. "If you just tell us what you did now, you'll be out of here a lot quicker and I won't have to shoot you"

Beka looked at Andromeda's holographic image. She knew that the avatar, Rommie, and the hologram were both part of the main AI, the actual smart, all knowing, high authority high guard war ship, and had their own slightly different personalities, with the hologram being most like the AI. But not once had she seen Andromeda yell, let alone threaten someone like that. Maybe some of Rommie's emotions were rubbing off on her ship counter parts?

"You wouldn't dare" Alexander shot back, standing up from his chair so fast he knocked it over. "You kill me and my crew with rip your wiring out and laugh as you blink out of your pitiful existence"

Andromeda stood there, back straight, shoulders squared, and hands held tightly together behind her back.

She turned to Beka.

"Trance and Harper are looking after our guests in Observation Deck 4. I'm going to get back to breaking the planets security lazars. If you need me, just say the word." she said, sounding like Rommie whenever she was telling the crew valuable information, and then disappeared.

Beka turned to the now sitting Alexander.

"We'll, you've just made your stay a walk in hell."

-

"Tell me what it is Rommie." Dylan said, sitting down in a tent set up in one of the cities outer military bases. In front of him, Rommie stood on the other side of a table, which the new found alien was lying on, trying to find its pulse.

"I seems to have both Magog and Kalderan attributes." she said, giving up after checking its throat, chest, both wrists, and even its forehead. "Other then that, I can't tell."

"So, it's a mix between a Magog, and a Kalderan." Dylan stated, trying to make himself believe what he had been told.

"Yes. Which means the Magog are getting stronger."

-

Rhade sat on the edge of a cliff, flicking rocks off his thumb and watching as the made other small rocks move as they landed on the side of the cliff until they all stopped at the bottom. It was a very boring process to watch for the Nietzschean.

Letting his mind drift off, he wondered if those _things_ that were attacking the village had found the Maru yet. Maybe if they destroyed it a bit more they could say it was the evil aliens after them again, and escape the wrath of the evil that is known as Valentine.

Maybe they could find a way to get a stable connection with Andromeda, and she could pick up the Maru along with them, saving them, and his poor, poor mind.

But then Beka would see the ship, and she'd kill them in a fit of rage.

That would not do.

Or maybe Rommie could fix the ship so that it could at least fly?

She could do that! She was the Andromeda's avatar! She can do anything. But Dylan wouldn't send her out there alone. Hell, Rhade wouldn't either. She might be strong and in control of war ship, but with the way they attack in packs, she'd only be able to do so much. And the fact that her wounds were still yet to fully heal over was proof of that.

That wouldn't do either.

Dylan maybe?

Please. Rommie won't let him out of the city now that she knows that what they found was mixed with Magog.

He could go... right?

Hah. Both Rommie and Dylan would hold him down until he found some common sense.

So now, he was left, watching rocks bump other rocks, bumping other rocks, which later made it to the bottom of the hill. The excitement of the kinetic molecular theory.

Sighing, Rhade wished something worthwhile would just, pop up. Like and simultaneous '_bang'_. That would be good. Looking around, Telemachus sighed. Nothing like that was going to happen in this run down, no good, boring as hell, piece of -

Rhade stopped his inner rant, looking around. He heard a twig snap. Finally standing up, expecting to see some very ugly, highly disfigured, blood lusting face behind him, he was surprised to see quite the opposite.

"Hello Commander Rhade." Raki said, nodding his greeting. "I didn't startle you, did I"

"No." Rhade said, shaking his head. Being bored made him _slightly_ paranoid. "What are you doing out here"

"Looking for you." Raki said. "Captain Hunt and Miss Andromeda are down in the base, and they said when I asked, that you were probably off thinking somewhere." Raki paused. "Well, that's what Hunt said; Andromeda said that you wouldn't be thinking, but rather sulking in boredom."

Rhade growled. He wasn't sulking! Telemachus Rhade never sulked!

"I was wondering" Raki began, catching the Nietzscheans attention. "If you'd follow me, I could show you what I and the rest of the soldiers usually do when were off duty. It's pretty fun."

Rhade smirked.

"I'd love to."

-

Harper looked at the big man in front of him, and shuddered.

He was Curtis Carlo, one of Alexander's personal body guards. Also, one of the dumbest people he had ever met. The one who initially poked Holo-Rommie.

Harper had quickly learned that Curtis' brain was the same size as his pinky fingernail, and talking to him only proved that Harper was wrong.

His brain was _smaller_.

"Dude! Look at this" came a voice from behind him, making Harper quickly turn around, and almost jump twenty feet into the air.

There was Darren Carlo, Curtis' younger brother by two years. Just as big, and as stupid as his older brother. Alexander's second body guard. Their family didn't have a very high achievement status did they?

Harper watched as Darren wove the small silver pole like thing in the air above his head, looking like a total idiot.

"What is that man" came Curtis's deep voice from behind him, followed by a laugh.

"I dunno dude, but watch." Darren laughed again, and held the item in his hand. Harpers eyes felt like they were three feet outside of his skull. Darren was holding a force lance.

Darren - Clueless idiot.

Force Lance - Very powerful weapon.

Darren + Force Lance?

Harpers downfall.

-

"And this, is the Observation Deck." Trance said sweetly. Behind her, the three people she was making sure didn't get into any trouble around the ship, instantly ran straight to the window and looked out at all of the stars in awe.

"This is amazing Miss Gemini" one of the men, Matt Oliviera, said.

"It is pretty beautiful." Trance said, nodding her head as the young man turned back to his star gazing.

From what she had been told, and had seen, these people weren't that bad. A little rough around the edges, and, considering the Carlo brothers, a little dumber then others, they weren't that different from other humans.

"Trance." Andromeda said her holographic self forming in the corner. "I have to ask a favor of you."

"Of course." she said, walking over and dropping her voice, as to not be over heard.

"Harper has" she sighed. "Who am I kidding? Darren got hold of a force lance and is currently running around chasing Harper and shooting at him. As funny as it is, I'll need Harper _alive_ tomorrow." Andromeda looked at her pleadingly, something she didn't normally do. "Please help him."

"Don't worry Andromeda." Trance said. It unnerved her a bit to see the strong AI almost breaking. "I'll go get Harper; can you make sure these guys don't leave the room for me"

"Of course Trance."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

-

"This is amazing"

"I thought you might like it"

"What do you use these for"

"Getting around in a hurry"

"What do you call them"

"Motorbikes"

-

Rommie stood up in a tree, on one of the bigger branches.

It had gotten dark a little while ago, the sun setting and the moon rising. Once she was sure the alien would be knocked out for quite some time, she told Dylan that he should get some sleep. When he asked where she was going, she said that she was going to go make sure Rhade made it back alright, since they hadn't seen him for sometime. That was a very big lie. Once he was inside one of the buildings, she asked the watch guard not to tell Dylan or Rhade where she was going. He quickly obliged.

Now she stood there, lightly jumping on the branch, watching as it barely moved.

'The trees here must be very old.' she concluded to herself, stepping out a little farther. Then, she jumped again, resulting in very little movement again.

She continued until she was near the edge, where the branch was getting thinner and thinner fast. Then, she heard a snapping sound. Looking down, part of the branch was breaking under her.

'Crap.'

-

Rhade walked back beside Raki through the trees. It was very dark by now, and they had just put the bikes away in a special spot, a small place in the woods. They walked back slowly, not sharing any words.

Truth be told, Raki was actually a nice guy. He was smart, cunning, and knew how to ride a Motorbike.

And damn were those things fun. They were pretty much like a bike, something out of history from Earth, but these were faster, and able to go off road. Very fun.

Rhade sighed, seeing the military base come into view. Then, he heard a twig snap. Though, this time, it came from above him.

He looked up, and instantly caught the young women that fell into his arms.

"Staying up late, and falling from trees" Rhade asked, Rommie's eyes snapping open.

"Shut it." she said quickly.

"Why" Rhade asked, raising an eyebrow. If he could poke fun at Rommie for two seconds, he'd let the sulking comment drop.

"Let me down Rhade."

"Why"

Rommie paused. "Better question. Why are you and Raki out this late"

"Having some fun." he said, slowly letting her onto her own feet. "Now, why were up in that tree? Planning to fall into open arms"

"You wish." she smiled and looked up. "I just found something very interesting."

.End Chapter Seven.

Yay! I haven't had ANY homework! ( Watch, tomorrow I'll have eight pages in each subject XD )

Reviews!

prin69 -

Hi! You liked that? Thanks! I was editing it and I laughed when I read it! lol. Thanks for the review!

reul-bhuidhinn -

Thank you for the review! Hope you think this chapter too!

Oenone -

Thank you for the review! Did you like this chapter too?

Jade Rhade -

Lol. Well, you got Rhade! That was good, right? Did you like the chapter? And there's X files/Andromeda story? I pictured that in my head and almost fell out of my chair laughing XD

You have writers block too? I hate that! Totally know how you feel. But thanks for the support!

**To the four of you who reviewed, I thank you. You gave me the inspiration to get typing again, when no one else reviewed. Thank you!**


	8. No Prove it

I had to get this chapter out. Its not much, but at least its a chapter. Next chapter will be longer, and much MUCH better. PROMISE!

Like I have been saying for the last seven or so chapters, I don't own Andromeda. Lets not rub it in.

.Chapter Eight.

"Why are we here." Ron said, more then asked, has he sat down at a long, dark table. Rommie gave him a pointed look at his sharp tone. "Miss Andromeda." he nodded his acknowledgment, pretending to misjudge her glare.

"We are here because I have found something important." she said, although her tone wasn't as sharp as her expression. A solider, commander of the group assigned to patrol the South Sector, put up his hand.

"My I give Alnar a quick briefing while we wait for Commander Rhade and Captain Hunt?"

"Of course."

"Sir," he said, "Miss Andromeda has done an experiment, and found some useful information about our enemies. She wishes to tell us, as well as some scenario options and plans." he smiled. "Its amazing how she can figure these things out sir."

"I'm sure it is." Ron said, looking susspiously at her. How was it that they got onto the planet and survived? How was their ship so advanced? How could she do these experiments and be absolutely positive they were right?

"Hello." Dylan said as he walked in with Rhade, both men taking their seats.

"Well, now that everyone's here, we can begin." Rommie said. She stood up and pointed to a window on the other side of the table. There was a room behind it, with all of its lights off. "That is the problem." With that sentence, the lights flicked on in the room, showing the captured hybrid attached by metal binds to a steel table.

* * *

"Beka," Trance said as she walked onto command with Alexander behind her, his eyes wide in awe. "Andromeda's found a way to get around the lazars."

"Good." she said. "This guy wouldn't tell me anything." Beka sent a quick glare over to the man before stepping up to her post. "Let's see what you have."

Andromeda brought up to the visual of the planet before them on the main screen. "As we know, the planet has point defense lazars that concentrate on blinding the ships navigation and piloting controls." Everyone on the deck nodded. "Well, the planet is the drifts main supply for fossil fuels, which they use in almost everything they make. This means, there must be a simple way of getting on and off the planet without the possibility of crash landing."

She quickly brought up a shot of a small cargo ship, no larger then the Maru.

"This is what the drift uses. It's simple and efficient. Its mass is no larger the Maru's, with the same layout to its cargo bay. It's common in these systems to have a larger cargo bay then anything else in the ship aside from the engines, and this is no different. But this is what I find surprising." The ship disappeared off the screen, and re-appeared smaller, shooting out from the drift towards the planet. Though as it got closer, and entered the atmosphere, it did not seem to be dragged into the planet, nor did it seem to lose all power. "I saw this an hour ago." Andromeda said. "The ship resurfaced and went back to the drift without a scratch or any turbulence. The wall had no effect on it."

"Do you know anything about this Alexander?" Trace asked gently. He had stood there the entire time watching and listing to Andromeda's explanation and hadn't said a word. From what she had heard from the AI earlier, the man had a tendency to yell and she didn't want him to yell for being asked a simple question which she knew Beka was going to ask sooner or later.

"Why would you ask me?" he said, looking her in the eye. "I'm just the scum of this system, along with the rest of my crew." he turned towards Beka. "I want off of your little ship. Now."

"_Little_?" Andromeda said, sounding slightly insulted at the word.

"Yes, _little_." he said again. "Now let me and my crew go."

"Sorry." Beka said, though she sounded far from any form of sympathy. "We still need to talk."

* * *

"What you are looking at now is not human," Rommie said, getting snorts from some of the more arrogant people at the table, "nor is it an animal. It's a cross-breed between to races of ruthless, cunning, and very nasty aliens. This is what's been killing off your planet." she stood up from her seat and began to walk to the window.

"Its half Magog, half Kalderan. Both are something you would never want to see coming at you. Especially you since your planet, your city, seem to be at lack of standard weapons, let alone armor. They know this. They're using you for practice."

"And you would know this, how?" Ron asked. He seemed to be more and more tense around them more often then not.

"Because I've crossed paths with them more times then I'm pleased to count. And countless times I've wished I could forget. Unfortunately, I cant. Its a good thing for you, because I possibly know what they'll do in certain situations." she stopped, for him to ask another question, but he didn't. "They're trained and seriously advanced. They could smell you from sixty kilometers away, and hear you from fifty. They weigh almost three hundred pounds, but move without any noise. On foot or in trees."

"That's not possible." Raki said. He had been quiet the whole time, listening and calculating all the information he was begin told, but still couldn't come to believe it.

Rommie smiled gently. "Sorry, but it is. Its what I was doing last night. I jumped on the tree branch lightly and the end swayed slightly, even more so as I moved more towards the end. When you jump from tree to tree you gain much more momentum then a little controlled hop."

"Point being?" asked a man who had had his eyes closed throughout the whole meeting.

"They can control their weight at will. As well as their appearance." This time, a challenging comment came from Dylan.

"Define that last sentence."

She quickly put her hands behind her back on impulse. "In order to stay out of enemy sights, they're able to go from visible, to invisible, making them completely undetectable." Everyone looked up at her. Some, like Raki, Dylan and Rhade believed her. Around thirty percent of the people in the room. The others seemed to look her up and down, trying to believe her, but not completely buying it.

"Prove it."

"Yea, prove it."

"She wont be able to."

"She's only a scrawny little girl!"

"Enough." Ron said, silencing the string of comments that had come out of the soldiers around him that didn't believe her. "Well Miss Andromeda." he drawled. "Prove it."

* * *

"This is the second time I've had to come and sit here with you Alexander." Beka said as she sat down at the other side of the table from where Alexander had sat himself a few moments prior. "I trust you know what I want."

Alexander snorted and looked away, crossing his arms. "Yea, I do. And guess what," He growled, "I don't give a fuck."

Beka smiled. "Of course you don't. They never do." she laughed a little bit. "But you see, as acting captain of this ship, Andromeda will do anything I tell her, no questions asked."

"Your point?"

"Andromeda, introduce yourself."

Alexander quickly jumped up from his chair involuntarily. Andromeda had altered the gravity where he sat, making him float in mid air.

"Let me down!" he cried. Beka watched as he tried to grab onto the table, only to have him float higher until he was against the ceiling of the room. "Let me down now!"

"I need that information." Beka said grimly, making a pouting face up at him, though she wanted to laugh until she couldn't breathe. "And I'm going to need that information sooner. My friends are down there on that planet and I want to get them back as soon as possible. So, are you prepared to compromise?"

"Let me down now!"

"Information."

"Now!"

"Information."

"No! Now!"

"Information."

"No! Now!"

Beka sighed. If this went on for any longer, she'd get a headache. "Andromeda, let him down." she said, and before she knew it was looking at Alexander as he twitched slightly on the floor. As he slowly picked himself up, she took a deep breath.

"Listen, all I want you to do is answer some questions, and then you'll be right on your way. We haven't hurt you, and I haven't thrown you in a cell and tortured you which I'm quickly starting to regret."

"Kiss my ass."

"I'll let you go if you tell me how to get down there!"

"We have a code the system works by. I will not betray it!"

"You wont be! Just tell me and I'll get my friends, and you'll never see this ship in this system for the rest of your life."

Alexander looked at her for a moment. He looked as if he was about to tell her, but she was proven wrong by his next word.

"No."

.End Chapter Eight.

Reviews

Oenone -

Yeah, Rhade is starting to sulk a little more. I noticed it. And I had to ad in the banter, though wouldn't put in any other punctuation outside of periods... it was weird. And thanks for your comments. I love long reviews. Feel free to take that as a hint! Thanks for the review!

prin69 -

Whoa, chill dude. You did review. I think yours was the first one I replied to. Look it over, and please don't feel guilty! And yes, I made Rhade a badass motorcycle hottie. You cant help but love those guys. lol. Thanks for the review!

Jade Rhade -

command deck: rommie: 'there's a car in my corridors.'  
I am now waiting for that story! I would love to read it! Get your ass in gear and write it for me! Then Ill be giving you reviews! Oh, and thanks for sticking with my story. I love your reviews! (You'll review this time too, right?)

Awohali -

Really? Its awesome? AWESOME! lol. Thanks for the review!

I would like to thank all my reviewers. You people make me write... When I don't have homework... Even when I do... Thanks!


	9. Fight

.- Chapter Nine -.-

"Rommie, you do realize you don't have to do this, don't you?" Dylan prompted, again.

"I've gone over this a few millions times in my head Dylan, relax. I know what I'm doing." she said, giving him a reassuring smile as she took an IV out of the half-breeds arm.

"Just because you know what you're doing, doesn't mean you have to do this." he said again, following her as she went over to a computer screen. She started clicking things, the screen telling her the command was operated successfully. It wasn't until then that he realized how much she had done to keep the thing sedated.

"Dylan." she said, turning to face him. "Stop worrying, you'll get wrinkles."

Dylan stood there, openly gawking at her. Why was it that his ship could just go and undermine him like that in the middle of a moment as serious as this?

"And stop gawking at me, Alnar and the others can see you."

Sighing, he turned around and left the room. The Andromeda Ascendant, High Guard Warship, last of her line, strongest ship known in all of the galaxies, was the most stubborn person when it came to pride he had ever met.

* * *

"Sir, why are you letting her do this!" a solider said, looking bout ready to shoot Alnar any second as he watched the women on the other side of the glass. 

"I need proof." Alnar said, shrugging his shoulders. Rhade looked on at this from his place, leaning against a wall by the door.

"She's a woman! That thing could very well kill her!" he shouted at the commander, though Alnar just shrugged again.

Rhade looked at him in mild disgust. How he could go from a friendly man helping those in need, to a man that thought himself above all others, was beyond him. And he didn't want know.

"This is like executing her yourself!"

"She chose this action, I did not. It was her choice, not mine."

Rhade looked on as the solider that was defending Rommie looked like he was about to shoot Alnar's head off, and smiled slightly as he saw his hand inch towards the gun at his side. As much as he wouldn't mind seeing this happen, he knew he couldn't allow it.

"Alnar, sir." he interjected, all eyes spinning around to him, like they forgot his was there. "I've known Andromeda for a while now, and I must think that she is doing this to prove herself in your eyes. She doesn't like being looked down upon."

"You see," Alnar said towards the solider. "She's doing this of her own foolishness."

"I think you misunderstood me." Rhade said quickly, before anyone in the room had a chance to utter another word. "She's doing this to prove herself, because you provoked her." Alnar looked over to him, silently glaring. Rhade didn't seem to notice, since he took an imitating step towards him. "And she is anything _but_ foolish."

* * *

"Andromeda, are you sure you don't want me in there with you?" Raki asked, looking over at the horrorific looking alien on the table as it stirred slightly. "I have no problem with staying." he said as the older android came over to him. 

"Don't worry about me Raki." she said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she led him out. "Ill be perfectly fine. But I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

Rommie smiled. He might be an android, but he really did sound like a young youth at times. "Make sure Dylan and Rhade don't come in here, no matter what. They're my responsibility down here, and as much as they'd hate to hear it, they wouldn't stand a chance against this thing."

"I promise."

* * *

"That woman is foolish. I don't care what you think." Alnar said, standing up. Even while standing he wasn't that intimidating to Rhade... Or maybe that's just because he knew he could end his life before he could blink... 

"And I don't care what you think of her. But I will tell you this. She is much more of a brave and loyal solider then you will ever be in eight life times." stepping back to lean against the wall again, as he watched the anger and pure hatred swirl in Alnar's eyes.

Just then, Dylan walked through the door, noting the tension between the Nietzschean and the commander.

"Men." Raki said, startling everyone for no one noticed him when he took his seat at the table. Everyone thought that he would be staying in there with Rommie while she proved her case. "It's awake."

* * *

Rommie watched silently as the being twitched, its eyes opening. She had long since taken off its restraints, trusting her own strength to be enough to defend herself when it chose her as a worthy opponent. 

She watched as it slowly sat up, shaking it head. She suspected it would still be on the drowsy side from all the subduing drugs, though with its quick immune system, it wouldn't last for long. It searched the room, red beady little eyes shifting everywhere, nothing going unnoticed.

Slowly, she took a silent step towards him, waiting for its head to snap around. But it didn't. Another step. Nothing. Another. She slowly started to suspect that it had gone death, but with her next step, his head snapped around with a sickening snap, blood red eyes glaring.

* * *

Alnar watched as Andromeda slowly took a step forward. He watched as she delicately put her foot down, as to not make any noise. 

Not that it would help.

The thing was playing with her.

He watched, amused, as she froze when it turned around on her, becoming more amused as he watched her tense, taking an offensive stance as it got off the table, turning towards her. The only thing between the two was the thin steel table, which either could flip easily.

Alnar tried hard not to laugh as the alien pushed the table towards her, an amazing show of strength for when it made contact with the wall, both wall and steel had dents in them. He scowled slightly as he saw her land perfectly on her feet. She must have jumped over it.

'This will be good...' he thought to himself, not daring to say this out loud for her friends were in the same room. 'Hopefully, if this one is smart enough, he'll kill her and I'll only have to deal with the two men...'

* * *

Rommie slowly circled around the room, keeping the alien a good distance away from her. She watched as the muscles in its legs, much like those of Magog, tensed, before it jumped at her. Instead of jumping over it, she lashed out herself, he fist connecting with its head. The pure force of the hit would have broken any known species neck, though the hit just made it stumble back a step. 

Acting quickly, she jumped over its head, recreating some distance between them. If she wanted to be able to subdue him on her own later, she best keep the space between them, for as long as she could.

* * *

Dylan watched quietly as Rommie kicked the alien square in the chest. He was positive if the thing wasn't what it was it would have been knocked out, with four ribs puncturing its lungs. But it didn't even stumble back this time, just stopped its own attack. 

She once again jumped, and he was thankful she did.

Looking across the table, he watched as Rhade's eyes shifted from android to alien, and back again. He looked just as worried as Dylan was sure he looked right then and there.

Turing back to the scene before him, though he would much rather not, he watched as the two circled each other, Rommie low and swift, while the alien seemed to be tiring already.

* * *

Rommie watched as each stepped looked to be more and more slow then the last as the alien circled her. Maybe it was getting tired? Maybe the drugs weren't completely worn off? 

She highly doubted these, but kept circling anyways. The space had to be kept. If it wasn't, she was very well done for.

* * *

Rhade watched intently as the two circled each other, though his hearing was directed at the top of the table. 

"Pull her out Alnar!" one of the soldiers said, his head darting from Alnar to Rommie.

"She can call for help whenever she thinks she needs it." Rhade listened to him say. "After all, look at the two men she landed with back there. They might look human, but I highly doubt it."

Rhade growled in spite of himself. What was with this guy? He was starting to like him less and less as the seconds grew on. He quickly turned his full attention back to the fight before him though, and he was lucky he did to.

He watched as Rommie lashed out with her foot, but, it didn't make contact. The alien had grabbed her foot, and pulled her closer. She punched it between its little eyes, freeing her leg and stepping back. The Nietzschean could have swore the thing had smirked, for the most hideous smile spread across its already nightmare inducing face, before it simple, disappeared.

Both he and Dylan sprang up from their chairs at the same time, and both cringed as the invisible alien threw Rommie against the glass panel.

* * *

Rommie looked around franticly. She couldn't see it anymore. The thing didn't make any sound. She was literally a sitting duck, just waiting to be killed. 

'No.' she thought. 'I am the Andromeda Ascendant, and this, _thing_, will not win!'

She stood up straight, waiting for it to make its more. She didn't have to wait long. Before she knew it she had been thrown against the opposite wall like a rag doll, and it wasn't a great feeling. Standing up again, she bent her knees slightly, waiting for the next attack, since she knew she couldn't make it herself.

She felt an arm grab her, and immediately reacted.

With one hand, she grabbed the hard that held her, and kicked to the left. She didn't hit anything, so she kicked out again to the right. Once she had made contact, the invisible being seemed to flicker, somewhat like her hologram when it popped into existence at the most annoying times. Noting this in her mind, she kicked out where she was sure its legs would be, and felt its weight fall from it full height. Acting on instinct, she rammed her knee into its head, and she heard it fall onto the ground with an echoing _'thud'_.

* * *

At this, Raki seemed to jump right out of his seat and run to the door. Seconds later, he was in the same room the alien and Andromeda were in, handing her about five different syringes. Alnar scowled. She'd gotten off easy.

* * *

"Are you alright Andromeda?" Raki asked, full of concern. 

"I'm fine, did you shut the door?" Rommie answered, shoving the drugs into the alien's neck.

"Of course." he nodded. Both then suddenly jumped a bit when the door opened, hitting the wall beside it with a bang.

"You alright?" Dylan asked, rushing over. Rhade shut the door firmly, trying the find the invisible being.

"I'm fine, why are you in here?" Rommie asked quickly, shoving the last needle into the alien's neck, the last one making it slowly appear to the human and artificial eye.

"To make sure that doesn't get up again." was the answer, though it came from Rhade.

"It wont." Rommie said, flipping it over onto its back. "It cant."

.- End Chapter Nine -.-

Disclaimer : I own nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing... Sad, I know.

Reviews :

prin69 -

You wanna pummle the guy? Hmm.. well... maybe... I'ma shut up now ... THANKS FOR THE IDEA... XD

Thanks for the review though, really. I love hearing for you! Review please!

Jade Rhade -

Odd one you are... But one my fav reviewers... Though, I really do think you should work on that story... instead of the sequel to the sequel to the sequel? Oh god im confused. XD And how you could get sugar high from milk and pizza is beyond weird. I wonder about you sometimes...

But thanks for all the reviews! Review again please?

**Since this chapter had nothing concerning the Andromeda, Trance, Beka and Harper, the next chapter will be on the Andromeda only, during this same timeline. If that made ANY sense at all.**


	10. Headaches, Lazars, and Awnsers

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing nothing nothing... Sad, I know.

.- Chapter Ten -.-

"When's he gonna wake up?"

"I'm not sure Harper."

"My almighty, beautiful warship isn't sure?"

"Sorry to disappoint. It was strong knockout gas Harper; he'll wake sooner or later."

"Today, right? I still need to help Trance with that sprinkler that keeps on screwing up her flower bed."

"Calculating."

Alexander tried not to open his eyes. At first, the two voices he had woken up to were hazy, but they had finally become clear, letting him recognize them as the ship he was currently trapped on, and that annoying little blond man that called himself a genius.

Oh, his head was pounding. He'd heard that there was knock out gas involved, but was an ear splitting headache part of the aftermath? Or did they beat him a little bit to make him tell?

"He should be awake within the next half an hour Harper."

"Thank you."

He thought for a moment. Wouldn't someone as smart as this Andromeda's AI be able to tell he was awake by now?

He heard a low whistle coming for a few feet away, and guessed it was the engineer.

"Hey! Alexander, I know you're awake!"

Alexander got up slowly, his head pounding so painfully his hand reached up to hold it without thought. He looked through an illuminated blue door, which seemed to be mad of glass at the annoying little man.

"Rom-doll! You were right! He is awake." Harper said, smiling down at the man as he flinched at his loud voice. Before, Andromeda had told him that the side effects had been a small headache from the gas, but since he had landed on his head earlier, it would most likely be much worse.

"Could you be a little quieter?" Alexander growled through clenched teeth. The man wasn't helping his current condition.

"What's wrong Mr. Duong?" Andromeda asked, her hologram appearing beside Harper. She smiled sweetly at him - a little too sweetly he noticed.

"My head feels like its going to explode, think you could get me something?"

Andromeda looked from Alexander, to Harper, and back again. "I'm terribly sorry." she said, fake regret laced in her voice. "Mr. Harper seems to have taken the last pain reliever aboard the ship."

"Real shame." Harper said, nodding his head. "But you see," he dug a red and white pill out of pocket, "Captain Hunt always seems to have a little stash in his quarters."

* * *

"Alright, what do you need from us Miss Trance, Captain Valentine?" Matt asked, looking around the room they were in as he sat at one of the chairs that was left for him and the four other crew members to sit at the table.

"I would like to ask a few questions." Beka said kindly. At least Alexander's crew held some respect for women.

"That's it?" a man asked from Matt's right, looking at least a little older then Beka. "I thought you were asking Duong questions."

"I was." Beka answered grimly. 'And still suffering too.' she thought.

"Mr. Duong refused to answer any questions, so, we need your help." Trance said sweetly.

"What kind of questions?" three of the crew members asked susppiously, the three consisting of the ones Trance had watched over. The Carlo brothers didn't seem to want to say anything.

"Simple ones. Like - oh -" Beka paused thoughtfully, "were you the ones who shot down the Maru?"

"The little cargo ship?" Oliviera asked slowly, and Beka nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

"It wouldn't let us board."

"You wanted what it had bought from the drift?"

"Yes."

"Next question." Trance interrupted. "How were you able to shoot down the Maru with weapons that were so weak Andromeda couldn't feel them?"

"I don't know." said the man on the other said of Oliviera. "The weapons we usually use for ships of that size only cause normal damage. Those were the ones we must have used on you, since we used only what we had left."

"Then the ones that were used on the Maru, you save for bigger more threatening ships?" Beka asked.

"Yes."

"Then wh-" Beka began, but was stopped by Darren Carlo's low chuckling.

"That hot lady was bein' rude." he chuckled again. "So I taught her a lessin!" he started laughing, his brother along with him.

"Idiots!" Oliviera cried, his hands covering his face.

"Nu-uh!" Darren said defensively. "Darren did good!" he said, hitting himself with his fist in the chest three times.

Oliviera looked up a Beka and Trance. "They're idiots. I don't know why Alexander keeps them around."

Beka sighed. "Neither do I."

* * *

"Give me that!" Alexander roared in anger, cringing when his own loud voice rang through his ears.

"Give you what?" Harper asked innocently, the hand holding the pain killer behind his back. "You mean - this?" he asked, waving it just out of Alexander's reach.

"Yes you ass wipe!"

"Ah, ah, ah." Harper said, waving the pill side to side. "You aren't supposed to use foul language in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Alexander hissed. "There's not women here!"

Andromeda appeared at Harpers side, a holographic eyebrow raised.

"There's always a lady on this ship!" Harper said cheerfully, waving the small pill in the holograms direction.

"You know Alexander, you can get that pill, if you answer a few questions for us." Andromeda said, tilting her head towards the pill Harper was waving around.

"Never." Alexander hissed, trying to keep his voice low. The less noise, the less pounding his head did.

"Hey Alexander, you like music, don't you?" Harper asked, turning to Andromeda before the man even answered. "Andromeda, play one of my fav songs for me, wontcha? I think our 'guest' here might like it."

Andromeda nodded, searching her data bases for one of Harpers loudest, longest songs that he insisted on having programmed into some of her free space. He said that she might want to listen to it, something she had never done in her existence. Finding the file, she fixed her internal speaker system so it would play in Alexander's cell only, and at her own control in playing speed and volume.

"Yea!" Harper yelled, his head bobbing up and down to the loud heavy music. "Dontcha just love it?"

Alexander covered his head and ears with his hands, trying to drown out the heavy drums and guitars that blared through the speakers.

"Alright! Alright!" he yelled, pounding on the door before him. "I'll tell!"

"Good." Andromeda nodded, the music turning off.

"Awww." Harper said, his shoulders slouching. "Come on Rom-doll, that was the best part!"

"Later Harper." she sighed, rolling her eyes at her pouting engineer. "Now, tell Duong. How did that cargo ship get through the defense system without losing control?"

Alexander glared at the hologram, internally beating himself up for giving up so easily. "Pill first." he demanded quietly.

"Give him the pill Harper."

Harper walked over, holding the red and white pill out to Alexander in the palm of his hand. Alexander reached forward, but before he could grab the pill, Harper closed his hand. "Swear on your ship, and your crew, that you won't lie to me." Harper said, staring Alexander in the eye. Before he could think, Alexander found himself nodding and Harper's hand opening. Who knew the little man could be scary?

"Good. Now tell me." Andromeda demanded, moving closer towards the cell door.

"Alright alright." Alexander said sourly, swallowing the pill. "I'll tell you, just don't shoot my head off."

* * *

"What do you think the damage will be?" Trance asked the young man, Marcus Mathers, the engineer, curiously.

"Well, we saw multiple explosions, and they were hit from a pretty close range..." he mumbled out loud, things most likely only to be understood by Harper running through his head. "I'd say that the engines will be repairable, though it would take a while. The slipstream core wouldn't be able to be repaired from down there, and I bet they no longer have any weapons left. I wouldn't trust taking it into space either, the hull might have some major holes in it."

"Terrific." Beka sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose lightly. Her ship was un-flyable, in need of months, _years_, of repairs, which she knew she wouldn't be able to pay for, Harper or no Harper, and she was without a warships captain, an avatar, and a weapons expert. After this, one thing in her mind was sure. She was going to take a very long shore break, millions and millions of miles away from this ship.

"Beka." Andromeda said, appearing on one of the screens before the table. "Harper and I were able to make Alexander talk, they're in command now."

"Thank you Andromeda." Beka said, standing up to leave the table. "Coming?" she asked, practically skipping out the door.

'Now,' she thought to herself, 'I'm going to have to get Harper and Andromeda to tell me how exactly they got him to tell.'

* * *

Beka and Trance walked onto command, with everyone following them, to see a very pissed of Alexander Duong pacing in front of Andromeda's hologram, and a smug looking Seamus Harper.

"Are you going to tell us now Alexander?" Trance asked softly. When someone was pacing, they were either mad, or worried, and the way he was stomping around the deck made it obvious he was mad, and she was sure things would be a lot easier if Alexander didn't start yelling again.

"Yes." he hissed. "But none of you can tell anyone how you found this out, and I mean_ no one_."

"Deal." Beka said quickly. 'Anything to get you off this ship faster.' she added to herself as an afterthought.

"Good. Now, as you saw, the cargo ship was able to get through, and come back like the point lazars were even there. That's because where it went through, there wasn't any." getting confused looks from the crew, and shameful looks from his own crew, he continued. "Our system isn't that rich. We make do with what we have, but sometimes it isn't enough. Like this defense system for example. In certain places, at a certain time, parts of the lazars don't connect, leaving a space open for a small cargo ship to get through."

It took a moment for everything to be taken in by the four people before him. Slowly, he looked over at his crew, who were all listening to him, looking as though they were trying to believe that he hadn't just told total strangers about a secret that they were supposed to keep strictly secret. No one but special drift authority could be trusted to go down onto the planet. What the planet had was too important to lose.

"If that's true," Trance said, taking a step towards Alexander, "then why when it came up was it not disabled? You can't possibly keep the lazars off for that long, something's bound to get in."

Alexander blinked a few times. She was smart. "You're right. Like I said, our system isn't that rich. The lazars only affect you if you're going down to planet, so that we know you won't be able to get back out with what is ours. It doesn't affect anything on the way back. You could literally ride straight through one of the lazars and you wouldn't know the difference, because they don't have the capability to work that way."

"So we could go down there if we found one of those spots without getting caught, and get back to the Andromeda from the planet without any problems?" Beka asked, a small plan already working out in her head.

"Yes, but getting back will prove to be the hard part." Alexander said, lightly shaking his head.

"How's that?" Trance asked.

"There's patrol ships that guard the open areas, as well as everywhere else, just incase people find out about the secret that we all swore not to tell when we got our citizenship to the drift." Oliviera scowled, answering the question for his captain with a bitter edge.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone dude." Darren said, his big shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to hold in his idiotic laughter.

"I did what I had to do to get us outta here." Alexander said before Darren's brother could say something stupid himself.

"Andromeda, do you think they'll be able to handle one more day down there?" Beka asked, facing the hologram beside the engineer.

"I have no reasons to doubt it." she answered, nodding her head once.

"Good. Now that we know how to get down there, we'll need a plan." she paused for a second, a sly smirk forming across her face as she faced Alexander once again. "And a new cargo ship..."

.- End Chapter Ten -.-

YAY! I'm done! And just like I said, everything that happened on the Andromeda that I didn't put into last chapter.

Reviews--

prin69 --

Heh heh. Thanks for the review! And yes, my evil alien thingy smirked... Creepy huh? And trust me, I was reading over the last chapter before I put it up, and I was like - Damn, I made Alnar sound like an asshole! - So now, I have plans for him. Once again, thanks for the review! Review again? -

Jade Rhade --

Wow... you get hyper when you're cold? My friend gets hyper when she's sleepy, it's a little creepy. And I have to say, you're one busy, busy little child! Seriously! All those sequels... There's so many! I don't think I could ever make that many. Though, I do like Terla. She's awesome XD

Thanks for the review, yours always seem to make me laugh. Like with the 'whatever-the-hell-that-asshole's-name-is'. That was a very nice line XD. Anyways, I hoped you liked this chapter, review again and make me laugh ? -

Awohali --

It's ok that it's a little late, at least I got it! Thanks for the review! .

**Now, lets all be good lil' fan fiction readers and send Kasumi a review, kay? **


	11. Acid Rain, Beginning the Plan

**I own nothing. Please learn that so I can stop putting this. It's annoying.**

**-. Chapter Eleven .-**

"Why are you up?"

Dylan turned around and faced the confused face of one of his oldest friends. He relaxed more, letting his shoulders drop and leaned more against the pillar behind him, Rommie coming over to stand in front of him. He watched her for a short moment as she looked around, most likely hearing things outside that he knew he never would be able to.

"You still haven't answered my question." she said, facing him once again and tucking her hands into the pockets into the slightly baggy pants.

Dylan smiled. "C'mon Rommie, it's about to rain. When was the last time we've seen it rain?"

She crossed her arms across her chest and faked a scowl. "You're not supposed to be up this late."

"Fine, I'm changing that rule." he said, nodding his head once. She dropped her arms and tilted her head to the side.

"How will you be doing that?"

"I'm older then you. So, you should respect me, and do as I say, not the other way around."

"Dylan, that doesn't work."

This time, he tilted his head to the side.

"My AI was created before you were born, so, I am older then you."

"Ahhh..." she smiled down at her, "But your AI is Andromeda, and you are Rommie. Two totally different personalities. So, technically, I am older then you, by about, 300 years."

She shook her head at him, hiding her smile. "You're hopeless."

"I'm older then you."

"You're insane." Rommie looked at him for a moment, crossing her arms again. "It's well passed midnight, and everyone without a shift but you is asleep. You and Rhade have your own quarters and he's asleep. Why aren't you?"

"Something's not right here." Dylan said, sounding serious, a change from his teasing behavior before. "I feel like if I fall asleep, someone will sneak up in my room and stab me in my sleep."

Rommie nodded in understanding. If she needed to sleep for at least eight hours, she'd probably feel the same as well. "There are guards at each end of the hall your and Rhade's quarters share. If you want, I'll have them move closer to your doors."

Dylan sighed, smiling again. "You won't give up until you're sure I won't wake up 'til morning will you?"

"Nope."

Dylan shook his head, smiling at the avatar as he leaned to the side, looking up and the clouded skies. "It'll start soon. Let me stay out a little longer?"

When Rommie didn't answer, he took it as a yes and waited. Soon enough, like he said, rain started to come down from the heavy clouds.

"Precipitation." Rommie said. "Water droplets being released from clouds that could no longer hold them. Often resulting in mud, floods, mud slides, as well as river and crop growth. This is what you wanted to see?"

"You're starting to sound like Andromeda again." Dylan said, eyes admiring the water that sustained life as if fell from the skies. When he looked back at the women before him, he got a questioning look. "You do it sometimes. Sound all technical. Then you switch and sound like Trance or Beka." he smiled at her, then looked back out at the rain. "It's beautiful."

Rommie nodded, looking out herself. The way the rain blurred certain things at certain distances, and then showed itself as separate droplets against the trees were quite beautiful, but she still couldn't fully grasp why her Captain was still out here instead of being inside, warm, and asleep.

Dylan stood up and stretched his hand out from under the protection of the high roof, letting the rain fall onto his hand. He hadn't felt any weather for such a long while; it was nice to feel something nature created again. But soon, the soft pelting on his hand turned into a burning sensation, and before he could blink, Rommie had pulled his hand out of the rain and held his other firmly to keep it from going to the one in pain.

Rommie watched as the skin on Dylan's had slowly went red, the skin appearing to burn and break on its own accord. She looked up, pain written on his face clearly obvious though he tried to hide it. Something clicked in her head, and she looked at his hand again. Picking off a small piece of skin, his hand gripping her other roughly when she did, and she did a quick over, then started to drag him into the building.

Dylan let himself be dragged into the building, the pain in his hand decreasing slightly, though it still stung fiercely. When they got into the hospital wing, a young man, no older then twelve, gave a jump start when Rommie slammed the doors opened, and quickly moved around, grabbing a pair of plastic gloves and slipping them on. Rommie then sat him down on a table, the young boy rushing over.

"Make sure he doesn't leave this room." she said, still staring at his hand. Quickly, she turned to leave, only to stop at the door. "Treat him for acid burns."

* * *

"You better pay me for this Beka." Harper growled into a headphone, trying to stay in the shadows as he crept towards the cargo ship in Andromeda's docking bay. 

"I keep you safe Harper, that's pay enough." Beka's voice said in his ear softly, most likely walking down a hall or on command, trying to act normal.

About an hour earlier, they had asked Alexander if they could use his cargo ship to go down onto the planet, and, like he was expected to do, he threw a fit and said, or more like screamed, no. Then, both Beka and Andromeda had tried to threaten him. Beka, putting her force lance to his head and telling him to shut up. That didn't work. Andromeda changed the gravity force around him and held him to the floor, strong enough so that he wouldn't move, but since he wasn't a Heavy Worlder, not so much that it would crush him. That didn't work either.

Then, of course, the crew stepped in. Which only became more yelling, shouting, threats, and insults, most of which were directed at Andromeda.

Harper shook his head, smiling. Andromeda was not a ship you wanted to mess with at the moment, but that was expected. She had lost three of her crew, and part of herself, and was completely helpless to get them back. But they would.

As said before, that lasted an hour. This led up to Harper, standing warily at the door to the enemy's ship. Acting quickly, using Trance's advice to believe that he didn't have enough time to fool around like they did when they had originally come across the Andromeda after they pulled her out of the black hole; he slapped a flexie on the key pad beside the door, and started his work.

"One minute thirty seconds, go Harper." he whispered to himself when the air tight door opened, allowing him into the ship.

Looking around quickly, he noticed that its layout wasn't much different then the Maru's, but where the Maru had original extra rooms and compartments, this ship didn't. Hell, he didn't even know what they called it. Walking a little farther in, he noticed that its interior was much like the Maru's as well, simple and less expensive the Andromeda's massive walls and support beams, the latter of which wasn't normally seen. But, as he walked further towards the cockpit, he started to love his two ships even more. They were _a lot_ cleaner.

The thought of turning around and grabbing an air tight space suit crossed his mind more then once.

Sucking it up, he sat down at one of the controls, and staring playing around, molding the ships control system to how he wanted it. Once he was done, a record of two and a half minutes later, he signaled to Beka that all as ready, and gave Andromeda all rights to the ships controls. Smiling, he slipped out and walked causally to his quarters.

"Andromeda, do me a favor." Harper said, stopping once he turned a corner.

"Of course Harper." said the AI, her face appearing on a screen across from him.

"Prepare a hot, very hot, shower in my quarters please. With lots and lots of soap, and if you have to, steal some nice smelling stuff from Beka's room."

Andromeda smiled softly at the engineer as he scurried off, rubbing his arms as he ran towards him room. "Of course Harper."

* * *

"Good morning Ron." Rommie said, not even trying to hide the malice in her voice. 

"What-" Ron mumbled, slowly sitting up in his bed, noticing the dip in the mattress to the side of him. Turning in that direction, he came face to face with a dark figure; the voice identifying it was someone who refused to die on his list. "Why are you in my room?"

"I was outside." Rommie said, sitting back slightly, tilting her head at him.

The room was dark, and she hadn't bothered to turn on the light. She was sure he couldn't fully see her without the light, but he felt her weight on the mattress and could hear her voice clearly.

"I was with Dylan." she said. "It started to rain, and he stuck his arm out. Then, out of no where, his hand starts to burn itself. You have some explaining to do."

"I have nothing to say to you. Now leave before I call for a guard." he threatened, but Rommie didn't move.

"I'd like to see you try." she said. Letting her eyes adjust so she could see in the darkness like it was broad daylight, she noticed him scowl at her, puff up his chest, and open his mouth to yell. Acting quickly, she moved forward and clapped her hand over his mouth, pushing him back against his thin pillows.

"Is there any other piece of environmental information I should know about Ron?" she asked slowly, lightening her hold on his mouth slightly.

"No." he said quietly, glaring up at her.

Seeing he wasn't lying, she nodded her head and let go of him completely, sitting back up again. "If you are lying to me, Ron Alnar, I promise you, you will forget it." she said, then got up and left, leaving the man to seethe by himself in his room, with nothing close enough to satisfy the need to smash or break something.

'I'll kill her.' he thought bitterly, staring up at the ceiling. '_I_ promise _her_ that.'

* * *

"Harper." Beka nodded to him as they met in a corridor, turning at the same time and heading down the same hall. "You shaped up nicely." she looked him over quickly. "And I'll take my lavender soap out of your pay check." 

"Gee, thanks boss." Harper said sarcastically, though he did quite enjoy the lavender smell to get the sight of the inside of that ship out of his head. Changing his tune quickly, he asked, "How's your day gone?"

"Good." Beka answered, the both of them turning down another corridor at a three way. "I trust you have good news."

They both stopped, and Harper turned to stand in front of her. Pulling out a flexie from his pocket, he smiled and handed it to her. She looked at it briefly, and then smiled herself. They nodded to each other before turning in the opposite directions and heading off, both smiling the entire way.

* * *

"Miss Andromeda." the twelve year old boy said when Rommie re entered the hospital wing, though this time she didn't startle him. 

"How is he?" she asked, noticing he wasn't in the main room where she had left him to wake up Alnar.

"There was minimal tissue burnage, and nothing else. He'll be fine, but his hand will be sore for at least a few days." the boy looked up at her, then down at his shoes. "I'm sorry none of you were informed about our burning rains. Alnar usually tell outsiders... We're the only city out here that gets them around this time. This was the first of the season."

"Don't worry about it. Where is he?" she asked softly, which seemed to help since the boy looked up at her again, even though he didn't look her in the eye.

"He's in a private room, and Raki is with him. I informed Commander Rhade and he asked me to tell you to meet him in his quarters once you came back. Raki and I will stay with him."

Rommie nodded, standing still for a second. "I don't want anyone but the Commander and I to be able to see him. His room is completely off limits to anyone outside the four of us."

Rommie inwardly smiled as she noticed the young man perk up at hearing the fact that instead of saying three, she said four, including him. He nodded enthusiasticallybefore she said thanks and left, heading off to Rhade's room.

**-. End of Chapter Eleven .-**

**Wow. I quite like this chapter. And it only took me four hours to write! Talk about a writing spree eh? Anyways, reviews!**

Awohali -

Thanks!

prin69 -

lol. Thanks for the review! I like how they made them too... but hey, Harper like loud music, so why not use it? Thanks for the review, hope ya like this chapter too!

Jade Rhade -

XD Terla is awesome... And yes, Alexander is an ass. That's the point of his character. And surprisingly, I based him on a guy in my English class! But I changed his last name, just to be safe. I'm such an evil person. Thanks for the review! Lots of Rhade for you in the next one, 'kay?

**Thank you to my three (GAH! It's gone down:'( ) reviewers! This chapter was made in the short time it took me and posted on the same day just for you!**


	12. Black Out

**I own nothing! Please learn this so I can stop putting these stupid things up. They're annoying!**

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"So Andromeda, my beautiful, beautiful warship, are you proud?" 

The hologram appeared before him, a small smile lighting her face. "You did very well Harper. I'm quite impressed."

"I always told you the Harper was good, didn't I Rom-doll?" he said, smiling up at her while he took his nano welder off the table and hooked it to his belt.

"I never said I doubted you now did I?"

"Hmmm," he thought for a moment, scratching the back of his head lightly. "Never said ya did doll!" he smiled, and opened his mouth to say something else, but she disappeared. Harper looked at the spot that was occupied with her holographic image a few moments ago oddly, thinking that there might be something else that he might have to repair.

Andromeda quickly smashed that assumption, re appearing with a holographic scowl on her face, eyes furious slits.

"Harper, Beka is asking you to report to her quarters right away. Trance is already there, and they seem to be going over the flexie. I have been ordered to watch our - guests - while you brief Beka and Trance." she said, sounding completely pissed off. Harper almost smiled, almost being the main word.

"Hey, relax Andromeda." he said quickly. A warship was not anything you wanted to cross when they were feeling an emotion as such. "Just think about how much fun you could have!"

"Fun?" she said, making the idea sound like complete insanity.

"Yeah, just think." he said, his mind reeling before something finally clicked. "After all," he smiled, "you are a warship, with many, big, scary, giant, highly lethal things on board that are at your complete control." his smile grew, nodding his head, getting pictures in his own mind while he talked. "And to think, you have _two_ of them."

"Harper!" she exclaimed eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, though it was quickly gone. Her expression went from anger, to shock, to complete joy and malice in one.

"You're a genius."

* * *

"Good morning Rommie." Rhade said from his place at a small table in his room, indicating her to sit down in front of him in the empty seat when she entered through the door. 

She smiled in greeting, and took the seat silently. They both sat there for a moment, not sure who should begin the conversation. Rhade took the silence from them.

"I heard what happened to Dylan." he began, his voice soft. "It seems we weren't properly informed about our little vacation site's weather activity."

Rommie nodded. "I noticed." she said, voice even and eyes giving nothing away as to what she had already done. "We'll have to watch the clouds closer. I'll ask Raki if there's anything else we should know about later."

Rhade nodded, trying to figure out if she really meant what she said or if she was being decisive. "This also means that we have to start trying to find a way out of here and back to the Andromeda. If this little bit of information was kept from us, what else might Alnar be neglecting to tell us?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. "All I'm saying is that we can no longer just wait it out and hope Beka will be able to send down something to pick us up. Not on this planet."

"Not on any planet." Rommie said, giving him a small smile. "But, you are right. We have long over stayed our welcome, and I want to go just as much as you want to. Which means, we'll need to get the Maru back up and running."

"That's the problem." Rhade sighed. "We can't go to the Maru, not with those half breeds out there. With our little specimen inside the cities walls, I'm more then sure they wouldn't mind sticking our heads on polls."

"Rhade, don't be so negative. I'll go."

"That's what I was afraid of." he said, getting a questioning glare from the women in front of him. 'No, warship.' he corrected himself silently, remembering who she was and what she had accomplished over the years. "Listen Rommie, they attack in packs. We know that for sure. I wouldn't send a fighter drone out there alone, let alone with an army. We don't know how they think, and I doubt we will within the next week."

"The next week?"

He sighed. "Raki told me Alnar called some friends down from other cities to supposedly help us get back off the ground. They're bringing soldiers Rommie. Armed soldiers."

* * *

Alexander walked stiffly with his crew down the Andromeda's corridors, slowing down when he came down a hall with the ships holographic image before a door at the end of the hall. 

"Hello." she said as they approached, noticing how they slowed and took more cautious steps as they got closer. "I have been told to give you something to do, since you have been observed as restless within the last little while."

"I wonder why..." Alexander mumbled, crossing his big arms across his chest, trying to look menacing. No matter how hard he tried, whether he was taller then her or not, his crew knew it was hopeless, but they would never tell their captain so.

"So," she continued, as if he had never spoken, "I have brought you here to show you something that I am quite proud, and fond of myself." she smiled at them before blinking out of existence. They all stood there, mulling over her words before the metal doors opened before them.

Walking into the room, they gasped in awe, or in Alexander's case, pure fear. For before them, stood two giant robotic beings. They're arms appeared to be mighty machine guns, and their heads were small compared to the rest of them, up high on the bodies.

As the crew walked in closer, they seemed to straighten up more, their heads nearly touching the ceiling above them. They watched as the massive robots tilted their heads towards each other, seeming to ask a question, before looking straight at them again. They all nearly jumped three feet into the air as a small sound came from their left, Andromeda popping back into existence beside them.

Alexander scowled as he saw her look up to them, smiling widely with her hands behind her back before turning to face them.

"These are my two Planetary Warfare Bots, Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee."

* * *

"Harper! You're insane!" 

"It'll work boss!"

"How do you know? Look at it!"

"I know it _seems_ impossible, but it can really work! I know you can do it, I've been flying with you for -"

"Seamus Harper! I am not diving head first into a planet hoping Andromeda will be able to pull me back with some cords! Not while we still are yet to know when and where these gap holes appear."

"You looked perfectly happy with it in the hall!"

"All I looked at was the status of the ships controls and passwords. This won't work!"

"Yes it will!"

"No it won't!"

"Yes -"

"It will." Trance finished for Harper, making both of her two friends jump. She hadn't said anything after looking over the flexie herself, and her voice saying something so suddenly must have startled them. "Well, if we go down at the right time, then it shouldn't be too bad, but Andromeda can still control the ships descend from here, couldn't she? Just in case?"

Beka looked at her for a second, brows knotted over her eyes. Harper had the same expression his face, before nodding.

"Wouldn't hurt to ask, right?" he said, looking from Beka to Trance. Beka nodded and called out to the AI, but she didn't answer.

"Andromeda?" she called again, the three of them thoroughly puzzled.

"B-Beka." a voice said quietly through the unseen speakers in the room, worry settling into the three occupants of the room.

"What's wrong Andromeda?" Trance asked this time, though they weren't answered by the AI, or her hologram. Instead, the lights went out.

* * *

Alexander and his crew were shocked by the sight of these giant robots. When the lights went out in the giant room, they were so terrified, neither of them could say anything, let alone scream. 

But, they were on the point of pissing their pants when they heard four different clicking noises coming from above their heads, and, on the bridge of fainting when two bright red lights seemed to glow at them from eye level, where the Planetary Warfare Bots had stood before the lights went out.

When there were four more clicks, this time louder, like someone locking something into place, a _thud_ was heard in the room, for one of them did faint.

* * *

"Access Denied." 

"Over ride. Code Andromeda alpha blue 3 -"

"Access Denied."

"Shut down, commence."

"Shut down of all systems except life support. Granted."

* * *

"Harper, what's going on?" Trance asked as they ran down a corridor, Beka in front of them with a flash light, illuminating the corridor. "Why did Andromeda shut down?" 

"I don't know. I can't find out until we get to engineering." he said. He truly had no clue what was going on, for he hadn't seen the Andromeda do this before.

As soon as they got to engineering, Harper pried the door open and they ran in. He went straight to the back wall, ripping off a lower panel from the wall. Inside it he noticed that the circuits seemed to be duller in their color then usual, which he found somewhat disturbing. Quickly ripping some out and plugging them back into other places, he hit a small silver switch on the side.

Trance and Beka almost jumped back when the hologram of Andromeda appeared beside Harper, though she looked much like she did when they had first boarded, and didn't look at them all.

"Alright..." Harper said under his breath, jumping up to stand before the hologram. "Andromeda, this is chief engineer, Seamus Harper. Acknowledge."

"Acknowledged." she said, voice strict, sharp, and robotic.

"Good. Tell me what's going on."

She paused for a moment, eyes shifting from side to side quickly before looking straight ahead again. "There's an anomaly in my system. It's constructed a fire wall to keep me away. I am unable to remove it."

Harper nodded. "Can you trace it?"

"It is untraceable."

"Then what parts of the ship can you control?"

"I have full controls over my ships self life support system and its reserved generator."

"What's running on the reserve generator Andromeda?"

"Planetary Warfare Bots and life support systems sir."

"Good, keep it that way. Get the anomaly out before it can do any real harm Andromeda, while making sure there will be enough power left in the reserve to get yourself back up when it's gone. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Dismissed."

She nodded once at him before vanishing from existence before them. Beka turned to him.

"I didn't know you could be so..."

"Responsible." Trance finished, smiling at her friend.

"Oh," Harper said, putting the panel back on before he grabbed Beka's flash light and lead them out of the room. "I can do a lot of things."

* * *

"Armed soldiers?" 

"Yes."

"Those are supposed to scare me?"

"Not scare you, kill you on site."

"They won't be able to keep up. Besides, you know we have to leave, and now. I'm the only one that will be able to get there and back."

"Then I'll go with you."

"No you won't."

"And why is that?"

"Because, keeping you alive and breathing is my responsibility. I will not allow you out of these walls if you so as give me half a reason to believe that you'll try to follow me."

"Then I'll just have to tell Dylan about your little plan."

"Feel free. He's under my protection, as are you."

"He's your Captain."

Rommie paused. "That is true."

"So you see, he could either tell you to forget about it and just wait it out, see what happens or -"

"He'll send me right out because sooner or later he'll see that his as well as your lives are in danger, and I'm the only one that can stand a fighting chance!"

"But he'll also see that even though you're right, your life is in danger to." Rhade said, and when Rommie didn't answer, thought that he had won. He was wrong. She stood up quickly, and walked over to the door. Once she left, he quickly sprung up out of his own chair and followed.

Rhade followed her all the way the infirmary, and stood back when she stopped in the middle of the room, and young boy running up to her and saluting.

"Miss Andromeda!" he said. "We didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Well I'm here. How is he?" she asked him softly.

"Captain Hunt is alright. Raki's in there right now putting some extra ointment on his hand. But we had to give him some pain killers and knock him out. He kept trying to tell us he'd be fine and get out of the room. He'll be awake by breakfast though." the boy reported, saying the last bit quieter then the rest. Rhade couldn't help but smile.

"It's alright. You did the right thing. Do me a favor?" she asked, getting an enthusiastic nod from the young child. "Keep him in here. Give him, breakfast in bed or something. And you tell him, no matter what, that as far as both you and Raki know, Rhade's still asleep and I'm in the city. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course!" he said, literally beaming.

"Thank you." Rommie said before turning around and heading for the door, Rhade turning to follow her once she passed him.

As they walked towards the front doors of the base, he caught up to her. Outside, everything had dried and the sun looked as though it was coming up over the horizon. Not a cloud in sight.

"Well, don't you have the little admirer?" he asked in a teasing way.

"I'd shut up before I knock you out and drag you back to your room."

"You wouldn't do that Rommie. I'm too much of an asset."

"Now how is that?" she said, stopping to turn and face him, an eyebrow arched slightly.

He smiled. "Because I'm the one that knows a better, faster way to get there. At least my way we're not walking."

**

* * *

**

End Chapter Twelve

**Wow, I have a lot of chapters in this story. And I haven't even gotten to the parts that made me think up this story line yet! But it's coming soon, if I can keep writing big chapters like the last few I've put up.**

Reviews:

prin69 -

Lol. I'm happy you like my chapter, and the lavender scented Harper. Thanks!

AndromedaAvatar -

Thank you for the complement. I try to keep them in character, but giving the circumstances, (they're kinda stressed in my story, and the fact that she show is now over...) I think I might have warped them a little bit. Hope that's okay! Thanks for the review.

Jade Rhade -

Its okay if you don't review right away, chill. I haven't been on a lot either, and probably wont in the next little while... Evil homework. Yo, when's your birthday? Maybe I'll hook something up. smile (Don't count on it, lol) And yes, I unfortunately have someone like Alexander Asshole in my English class. The worst thing is though; I have to sit beside him. Pity me! But not too much! Lol. Hope you like the chapter!

**Damn! My reviews are getting smaller! T-T But I still love you guys who do read my story! Cookies and cake and candies for you all!**

**--Kasumi--**


	13. Set Backs

**And here, is the thirteenth chapter… Amazing eh?**

**I own nothing and no one that you recognize…**

**

* * *

**

. Chapter Thirteen .

"You failed."

"I did no such thing." a man growled, looking over into the corner at red, beady little eyes. "You gave me the wrong codes. She didn't even let me finish before she shut me out!"

"That is considered a fail among our people."

The man scowled at the beings words, covered in a heavy accent that wasn't normally heard from the people that lived on the planet.

"You failed in giving me the right code you dumb ass." he said, the being not responding for several moments.

"I will tell our high council this. You should leave, two of the crew members are said to be coming to the ship." with saying that, the being turned around had left, its heavy foot steps ringing throughout the ships halls.

The man sighed and stood up out of the seat, making sure his head didn't connect with any live wires that hung from the ceiling has he made his way towards the air lock. Stepping outside into the early morning light, he dashed into some bushes when he heard the sound of motorbike engines approaching. Crouching down, he watched as two bikes, one black and the other blue, ride out from the forest, the riders both looking around the clearing cautiously.

He watched silently as they both got off the bikes and walked them up closer to the damaged ship, parking them and shutting off the engines. He watched as the women walked around the ship towards the air lock, looking back over both her shoulders before punching in a code, the man following silently behind, closing the door once they were inside the ship.

"Perfect." he said to himself, standing up and backing into the shadows some more. "Time to deal with the Captain on my own."

* * *

"I have Drones, Slip fighters, two Planetary Warfare bots, Harper, and even a few hidden Nova's, but I must get one of those." 

Rhade turned his head and smiled at the androids mumbled sentence, shaking his head and turning towards the engine room.

"If I open a door this thing isn't going to blow up is it?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Relax Rhade." Rommie said over the com system in the cockpit. "She's not that damaged. Open all the doors you want."

Rhade nodded to himself and opened the door, only to see that going in there was hopeless. There were live wires hanging down everywhere, spitting out so many sparks you couldn't tell which spark belonged to which wire.

Closing the door, he made his way to the cockpit, seeing Rommie touch her hand down onto the back consol and close her eyes, entering into the Maru's VR matrix.

When she opened her eyes, everything was dark. The usual blue walls full of information that surrounded her were completely blacked out.

"Eureka Maru, respond." she said out loud, her voice echoing around her. "This is the Andromeda Ascendant, respond." she said again, but instead of getting a voiced response, an image of her ship self appeared on the walls around her, showing what she looked like as they pulled her out of the black hole, and various other shots of her ship self all the way up until they left for the drift.

"Okay." Rommie said. "Eureka Maru, show me Telemachus Rhade." Again, the Maru showed her all of its archives on Rhade, up until just before they landed. Then, everything went black for a second, before showing Rhade standing before her in the cockpit.

"Now, Eureka Maru, show me yourself." Instead of images of the vessel she knew as the Eureka Maru, everything went black again, and a hologram of a little girl appeared before her.

The little girl was as tall as Rommie's hip, and had medium length red hair that was filled with braids. She wore loose clothing, and held a white angel doll at her side. She smiled up at Rommie, a right tooth missing, and waved.

* * *

"How's his hand healing?" 

"Good, and fast too."

"Has he woken up yet?"

"No, not yet Raki."

Dylan mentally sighed, not wanting to show them that he was, in fact, awake. Just a fairly good actor at pretending to be asleep.

He inwardly groaned as they switched positions, Raki sitting down beside him, and the young boy, called Ryan, left, closing the door behind him.

He had to leave soon. He knew that both of his crew members were on the Maru, out in the woods, in a very dangerous position. He wasn't stupid. He knew his ship inside and out, which meant he knew what Rommie would do if he or Rhade were injured, and that was what she was surely doing now.

Risking her life to get the Maru back up and running so they could leave.

"I know you're awake sir." Raki said, Dylan finally opening his eyes when he was found out. "I'm not as young and naive as my appearance makes people think."

"I never doubted you Raki." Dylan smiled, moving himself into a sitting position. Looking around, he noticed that he was in a white, rectangular room, with a table, another bed across from him, a bedside table to his left, and a chair on either side of him. It looked similar to an old Earth hospital room, except he didn't see any of the equipment they usually had in theirs around him.

"Raki," Dylan said, lifting his burnt hand to see it was fully covered by white wrappings. "How long have I been out?"

"No more then four hours sir." he said, the nodded to Dylan's hand. "I bandaged that less then an hour ago, so it should be fine until Andromeda and Rhade return."

Dylan looked at him curiously, before asking where his crew members were.

"They're in the city sir." Raki supplied. "Andromeda said she wanted to talk to some of the city folk and find out about the planets history with the aliens from some of the elders, and Rhade agreed to accompany her when she declined my company. Some of the people, mainly the elders, aren't open to newcomers."

"Ahhh." Dylan said, nodding in understanding, or, understanding that it was a very well developed lie, one he didn't think would come from Andromeda. It seemed a little, forced, and backed up with information to hide something.

'Or maybe she's sneakier then I'm giving her credit for and is planning on confusing me so I stay put until they come back with more lies...' he thought, leaning back on a white pillow behind his back. 'Or maybe it wasn't her lie, but Rhade's, and he said to give the information in that way so that it would... it would...' Dylan mentally slapped himself and told his brain to stop thinking. What he needed to figure out was how to get past that android, and how to get the Maru to drag his friends back by their ears.

'Well,' he thought, 'I could always ask him to grab me my force lance... If I knew where it was.'

* * *

"Alright Harper," Beka said, holding the flash light at the double door before them. "Work that magic you keep bragging about." 

Harper smiled widely at her, winking while putting a small clear tube into his data port. He quickly rubbed his hands together and snapped his fingers, the doors opening.

Trance was the first to walk through. She took the flash light from Beka and led them in. From what they could see, the entire other crew were standing around a figure on the floor, with the two Bots standing before them.

"Hey," Trance called. "Is everyone alright?"

"Duong fainted." Mathers said, not even sounding close to concerned about the matter. "I think the machines scared him."

"We should get him to medical." Trance said, the two Carlo finally making themselves useful by picking him up and following Trance.

Beka and Harper stayed behind with the rest of the crew, who were more or less confused by the current state of the ship they were on.

"Hey! Boys!" Harper called up, the two massive bots looking down at him. "You're connected to Andromeda's main frame, right?"

They both nodded.

"Then, help her get the anomaly out, and protect her systems."

They both nodded, but before the light faded from either of their eyes, the lights in the room flickered on. They were on a low setting, but they were on.

"Anomaly confined." Andromeda said, sounding more like her self again. "All systems at one hundred percent. Awaiting captains orders."

"Well," Beka said, smiling. "How about you tell me what that bug was looking for?"

* * *

"You're... you're the Maru?" Rommie asked, taking a step towards the hologram. It looked exactly like Beka, but younger, and with red hair. 

The little girl nodded her head, braids moving everywhere, before running up to Rommie. She grabbed her hand gently and dragged her for a bit before stopping in front of nothing. The hologram let go of her hand and touched something, a small space lighting up instantly. She pointed to it, and Rommie looked, realizing the hologram was showing her a list of everything in the engine room that needed to be repaired.

"Thank you." Rommie said, memorizing everything. She turned to the girl and smiled warmly. "I'll be back soon, and before you know it, you'll be back up and flying again, okay?"

The hologram smiled again and nodded, and Rommie left.

* * *

Dylan walked quietly out of the front doors, successfully avoiding a walking guard. 

After all, who knew who else in the compound was supposed to make sure he stayed in bed all day?

"Captain Hunt?"

Dylan froze, quickly moving into a relaxed posture and turned around, smiling as Ron walked up towards him.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Good. Getting better every second I'm told. You?" Dylan asked, wishing the man would shut up and leave him be.

"Oh, I've been alright. But I am terribly sorry about what happened to your hand. I'm afraid our acid rains slipped my mind when you and your crew arrived." Ron said, slipping on a very sorrowful and ashamed face. "May I walk with you?" he asked.

Dylan, always wanting to rather make friends rather then enemies, didn't say no, and before he knew it, he and Ron were walking through some on the outer forest talking on pleasant terms.

Ironically, they talked for five minutes about how nice the weather was.

Dylan didn't even notice when someone, or, something, started to silently follow them through the dense trees and bushes around the city.

He didn't notice the hidden syringe in Ron's hand either.

* * *

"Duong. Duong, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Trance asked in a low voice when she saw his eyes flicker behind closed lids. 

By the time they had gotten to medical, Andromeda had announced that she had successfully confined the anomaly, and Beka had told her over the com. system to make sure Duong didn't hit his head to badly on the floor. Trance had looked over him quickly, finding that he had just fainted from what was most likely shock, or fear, and had gotten a bump on the back of his head from the fall.

"Wh- wha?" he said, eyes slowly opening and looking around the large room.

"Good, you're awake." Trance said, moving to stand beside him within eyesight. "You fainted and bumped your head. You're in medical now."

"Al- alright." he said, making to sit up, but failing and almost falling off the side of the narrow bed. "Umm-" he studerd. "Red lights, clicks, darkness."

"Yes," Trance said, helping him back up so he wouldn't fall and break his head in. "Beka took everyone up to command. You and I can go up in a few moments. For now, you should rest for a moment. You fell on your head and Andromeda doesn't have the softest of floors."

With that said, Alexander Duong did something he was told to do for once, and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Alright Andromeda," Beka said, standing at her consol on command. "Tell me what this thing was doing in your system." 

"It was copying information." the main AI said, showing up on the middle screen. "Mainly old access codes that any High Guard officer aboard would know, but ones that I stopped hearing since the black hole."

"Where was it copying the files to?" Harper asked, standing on Beka's left.

"That I didn't find out. I was able to confine it and find out what it was taking, but before I could find its source or origin, it self destructed."

"Clever." Beka said, nodding. "Was it able to get anything out?"

"No." Andromeda confirmed. "I stopped it before it had the chance."

"Good." Harper said, smiling a little, though it looked like it was forced. "No harm done, right boss?"

"Sure. Just a small, easily overcome, set back."

* * *

"Ahh, good, you're back." Rhade said once he noticed Rommie open her eyes. "Everything okay?" 

"Yes." she said, turning towards the engine room. "I know what needs to be fixed, but I'll need your help with some of them."

"Okay." Rhade said uneasily, watching as she opened the door. Wires were everywhere, just like he had left it, but no sparks were coming down.

"The Eureka Maru must have shut some things off so we could walk through." Rommie supplied, pushing the wires out of the way.

Slowly, and uncertainly, Rhade also followed, not sure if he was going to be shocked and killed on a half dead ship or not.

* * *

**. End Chapter Thirteen .**

**Okay… About this story. It is my favorite of them all, and as I have found, the biggest pain in the ass. As of yet. It took me longer then it should have to type this up, and I was very disappointed. I think my sister stole my thinking cap. So, if it takes a little longer for the next chapter, I apologize now, and wish for you to forgive me.**

Reviews :

Jade Rhade –

Yes, it was dirt bikes! I'm happy you have a good memory! And no, I'm sorry, the boys didn't take over… They're just special. And how could I kill Beka Trance and Harper? Then who's gonna save Rhade? Thanks for the review!

prin69 –

Awww… Thank you. And Drom's okay now… They just had a set back… So now everyone is trapped on the planet for _longer_… Good, or bad, depends on how you look at it after this chapter. And don't worry about Alexander. I have… something… for him. Thank you for the review!

**Until next time…**


	14. Not Good

**I don't own anything that you recognize, though I am proud of this plot line and my creepy aliens!**

**And please, forgive my military hours... I wasn't to great at it in Elementary either -.-;;;**

* * *

**-Chapter Fourteen-**

* * *

"Nano-welder." 

"Nano-welder."

"Flexie."

A pause.

"Rommie, where is the flexie?"

Rommie spun around, looking from one end of the room to the other. "Never mind, I don't need it." And with that, she spun back around and went back to her repairs on one of the engines.

Rhade nodded, sitting back against a near by wall, waiting for the avatar before him to ask for something else. He to would be doing repairs, but after being shocked various times around the ship, both he and Rommie agreed it would be better if he didn't.

"Alright." Rommie sighed, moving away from the wall and putting the panel back up, and covering the many wires she was working on.

"Done?" Rhade asked.

"Nearly. Some things will have to wait until tomorrow, but there are a lot less repairs to go through." she smiled at him. "Then we can get off this planet and go home."

"Good." Rhade said, grabbing her hand and helping her up, appreciating how they had decided to start with the hanging wires so both could stand without having to slouch. "I greatly wait for the moment when we wave good-bye to this hell hole."

* * *

"Nano-welder." 

"Nano-welder."

"Flexie."

"Flexie?"

"Yes boss, the flexie. You know, it's pretty thin, has writing on it-"

"I know what a flexie is Harper!"

"Good, now can ya pass it?"

"You didn't bring a flexie Harper..."

"Really?"

Beka sighed. "Really."

"Oh." Harper said, pushing a few buttons on the control panel on the outer hull of Alexander's ship. "Oh well, didn't need one anyways."

The door sprung open, and three darkened figures quickly went though the air lock, Harper locking it behind them.

"Andromeda will be alright on her own, right?" Trance asked as they made their way to the cockpit.

"I'll be fine Trance." came the voice of their beloved AI, her face appearing on a small, eight inch screen before them. "I am a warship, but thank you for the concern."

Trance smiled, taking a seat at one of the consoles with Harper beside her and Beka in the pilot seat.

"Alright Andromeda, let us out. When we get close enough, use your cables to pull us though the open space and we'll take it form there. When we land we'll contact you, and you can guide us to Rommie, Rhade, and Dylan." Beka said, pushing various buttons before her after strapping herself into her seat.

Once the hanger door opened, they were out and on their way to the planet in the stolen cargo ship.

* * *

"Sir! Alnar sir!" Raki called, sprinting after his first in command, the tall man turning to face him smiling. 

"Yes Raki?" he asked calmly, though on the inside he was shaking with some kind of evil laughter.

"Have you seen Captain Hunt? He's missing."

"Oh, that's not good." Alnar said, covering his mouth with a hand in some sort of mock emotion, most likely shock, though it was really more of a way to keep his laughter in and giving himself away. "Have you alerted Commander Rhade and Miss Andromeda of this yet?"

Raki shook his head. "They went out, and are yet to return to the base, sir. I was out looking for them to tell them, but instead I found you."

With each word that came from Raki's mouth, Ron Alnar found it harder and harder not to laugh out right at the androids stupidity.

'"He's missing!" He says,' Alnar thought. 'The little whore is going to kill him after she finds out that he lost her precious Captain. She'll be so distraught, she won't notice when the other great lug goes missing to. Then, I'll be able to frame her like that, and shoot her in front of everyone until her wires snap and her eyes dull.'

"Sir? Sir, are you okay?" Raki asked, looking up at his still shocked CO, thinking that the man was having some kind of black out in his brain and needed help, not once suspecting him of such cruel thoughts that were running through his head. Raki didn't have a clue.

* * *

"Duong..." 

"What Oliviera?"

"We need to talk..."

"Look, I'm trying to figure this out. Wait a minute..."

"No Duong." Matt said, spinning the man around to face him. "We need to talk now."

"What is it Oliviera?" Alexander said harshly, crossing his arms and leaning against the center consol station on the command deck.

"Our ship is gone."

"There, you said it." Alexander muttered, not really paying attention to what Matt had said. Then, it suddenly clicked. He hadn't seen any of the Andromeda's crew for at least an hour...

"WHAT!"

"Please Mr. Duong, don't yell. My internal sensors are at 100 percent and I would like to keep it that way." Andromeda said.

"My ship! My ship!" Duong said over and over until Andromeda interrupted his ranting.

"Your ship is perfectly fine. You should relax." she said, Duong instantly shutting up.

"Where is _our_ ship Andromeda?" Marcus asked, putting emphasis on 'our' with a pointed glare at Alexander.

"On its way down to the planet to retrieve my crew."

"And who exactly gave you permission to use _my_ ship!" Alexander said, his face a new shade of red.

"No one." Andromeda said calmly, staring down at him from the center screen. "You are eating food meant for my crew, walking my halls, sleeping in my rooms, and wasting my time. My crew is trapped on that planet, and if it was up to me, I would personally go and retrieve them. But, as you should know, this system is not friendly to ships like me, and wouldn't listen long enough for me to tell them that it is in my programming to keep them safe. All they see is the fact that I could very well blow up both their little drift and the planet they so depend on in less then ten seconds.

"And so, they took your ship and left you here with me." she finished before disappearing from the screen and leaving it to its usually blue statistics.

"They took my ship..." Alexander repeated, the rest of his crew shaking their heads in shame, more or less understanding the reasoning of the other crew.

* * *

"Miss Andromeda..." Ryan said, head bowed low, as Rommie and Rhade walked into the infirmary. "I have to tell you something..." 

"Sure." Rommie said, both she and Rhade taking a seat when the young boy offered it to them.

"Well," he began, a nervous twitch surfacing in his hands. "I know you're not going to be happy about this, and I take full responsibility, because I know that it's my fault in every way. If you want, you can yell at me and throw things, same to you Commander Rhade, for I'll understand completely."

He looked up at them, bright green eyes wide and shifting slightly. "I, I uh, I lost Captain Hunt."

For five whole seconds, which felt more like hours to the occupants of the room, the white room was completely silent. All thought about what the sentence meant, and what the repercussions would be.

"How?" Rommie asked, breaking the silence much to the gratitude of the two males that shared the room with her.

"He was able to knock of Raki for a few moments, though I don't know how." Ryan said quickly, finding his shoes to still be very interesting. "Then, he just walked through the doors. I know I should have said something, I should have stopped him somehow, but I was shocked. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Rhade said. "You did what you could, and it's appreciated. But when did you lose him?"

"Between 13 00 and 16 00 hours." Ryan said, finally giving up at staring at his shoes to instead switch between Rommie's and Rhade's shoes.

"That's broad daylight." Rhade mused, leaning back slightly in his chair to think.

"That is broad daylight." Rommie confirmed. "Do you know if he came in contact with anyone?"

"No… Raki went out a little while ago though." Ryan said, suddenly looking up and looking a little more hopeful. "He might know if anyone had seen where he went."

"Good." Rhade said, standing up and turning towards the door. "Ryan, do us a favor and ask Raki and anyone else you see if they've seen Captain Hunt. If they have, write down everything they say and we'll be back to check up on that list in a little bit. Alright?"

"Of course!" Ryan said, nodding and finally looking like the youth he was instead of the depressed and guilty little boy he seemed to be only a few moments before. "If I can do anything, tell me, and you can consider it done."

* * *

"Reaching the outer limits of the wall within two light minutes." Beka said, setting down the controls. "Trance, open a link back to the Andromeda for me please." 

"Link established." Trance said seconds later.

"Andromeda?"

"Beka, cables are ready for your signal." Andromeda said, though it sounded as if there was some yelling behind her.

"That's what I like to hear. Harper, how are the engines?"

"Good boss!" he said gleefully. "It's the only thing in this ship that's in the right order! I'm amazed!"

"As long as they're ready." Beka laughed. "Trance, how's life support and our gravity shield?"

"They're at full power. We're ready to go." she said, smiling also.

"Alright Andromeda, you heard them. Release and activate cables on your mark."

"Bring back my crew Beka." she said softly, and Beka smiled.

"We aint leaving without 'em."

"Count down to cable activation." Andromeda's voice said, ringing throughout the ship. "Five, four, three, two, one, mark."

With that, the cargo ship jerked slightly, the cables connecting themselves to its outer hull, the warship moving closer to the planet slightly to give more slack. Slowly, they started to move the ship towards the planets atmosphere. Before they were within reach or the lazars, a sudden jerk startled the Andromeda's crew.

"Boss!" Harper called over the com. system, more then startled when the jerks continued.

"Trance!" Beka called, watching as one of the warships cables snapped from under the ship, retracting instantly. "What is it?"

"We're being pulled away from the planet." Trance said, lights flashing before her in every corner. "The Andromeda's cables have fully retracted."

"Not good Trance!" Beka said, pushing buttons before pulling back on the controls. "Not good at all!"

* * *

"Cables five through seven have disconnected." 

"That doesn't sound good." Duong said, raising an eyebrow when both hologram and AI glared at him.

"Beka, can you hear me?" Holo-Rommie asked, resting her forearms against the edge of the center consol where she stood, watching everything from the main screen.

"Yeah, get us outta here!" Beka's voice said, the ship jerking again. "Where are they coming from?"

Not even moments after she had asked that question, a ship raised itself from behind one of the planets scattered moons. It was big, and bulky in design, but still nothing to the size of the warship that was the Andromeda Ascendant.

"It's a middle sized ship that was hiding in a meteor, in the moons shadow." Andromeda's AI said, a visual of the ship appearing on the right as it approached the cargo ship from the closest moon, Andromeda appearing on the left. "It seems to be putting out a magnetic energy. The thick hull of the cargo ship is reacting to it, though it has no pull on me."

"Great. Just beautiful! Now how many more times is our trick going to be used against us?" Beka's voice yelled, frustration clear, as the ship gave one more jerk before the link was broken.

"They've cut their power." the AI said quickly. "They'll be fine where they are, they're not yet close enough to be hit by the lazars or to be taken over by the planets gravity."

"Good." the hologram said her head rising as the ship moved out from its position, moving quickly to retrieve the fallen cargo ship.

"Stop where you are, or we'll open fire!" a voice said, though this time a face did show up where Andromeda's had once been. It was a man, with tanned skin, dark hair, and startling light green eyes, though Andromeda was completely unfazed and continued on her course.

"This is your last warning warship!" he said again, though this time Andromeda stopped.

"Marshall!" Alexander cried. "Save us Marshall! This horrid woman has taken us hostage and stolen our ship! Blow them up!"

"Who's there?" the Marshall asked, his earlier threats forgotten.

"Alexander Duong and my crew! We're all of citizenship to the drift!" was all he said before Marcus grabbed his mouth, firmly shutting it.

"Marshall, what's your name?" Holo - Rommie asked once she was sure Duong's mouth was shut firmly.

"Kenize Selore, Commanding Officer of all planet and drift protecting ships. Now, I suggest you leave before I blow that pretty little ship of yours into the next century." the man said, sounding a little more then smug.

Holo-Rommie smiled at him. "And I, Kenize Selore, am the Andromeda Ascendant, Heavy Class Cruiser warship of the old Commonwealth. Now, I greatly suggest that you leave before I blow _your_ pretty little ship into the next century."

* * *

**-End Chapter Fourteen-**

* * *

**Wow. Fourteen chapters, 51 reviews, and 410 hits. I think that's pretty damn good!**

Reviews -

Jade Rhade -

Lol. Thank you for the review, and I'm happy you liked the chapter. Hope you like this one too.

Oh, and Boba, if you hadn't noticed her name yet, its Jade RHADE. She's going to review any Rhade fic she can get her hands on! ;)

little fish -

Awwww! Thank you! I love the bots too, and am also a proud lover the good ole flat iron. May whoever invented them be blessed for life times to come. :)

**Thank you to my... Two reviewers... (prin69 forgot about me! -tear-tear-) and the 32 people who viewed chapter thirteen... O.o;;;**

**-Kasumi**


	15. News

**If you recognize it - I don't own it.**

**Important message after long awaited chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

**-Chapter Fifteen-**

* * *

"Now entering the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy." Andromeda's voice said, the blue strings of slipstream disappearing as the closest planet, Pluto, came into view. "The Eureka Maru has left its docking bay and is hailing us." 

"On screen." Dylan said, feeling at home on his ships command deck, even if it was empty aside from him.

"Dylan, are you sure about this?" Beka asked worriedly. "I understand letting the crew go back to Tarazed in the slip fighters with Rhade, and letting Harper go to his-" she paused for a second, thinking. "What did he call it again?"

"His 'Once - in - a - life - time - I - must - go - or - I'll - go - on - strike' Surfing trip." Dylan answered, using Mr. Harper's exact words.

"Right - that." Beka said, chuckling though she quickly sobered. "But now you're all alone! Not even Rommie's there with you. I don't have to take this vacation, you know." she said, trying to talk some sense into the man. What if he got ambushed? What if he got attacked? Knowing his luck, it wasn't a 'what if?', but more like a 'when'.

"Relax Beka. I promised you a three week vacation last month, remember?" Beka nodded. "Exactly, so enjoy yourself, go visit the casinos near Jupiter, and stop worrying about me. I'm not _that_ old."

"But -"

"Rommie has her rendezvous point set for next week. She only went down to make sure Harper and Trance don't get into to much trouble. I'm sure I can survive without a babysitter for a week Beka." Dylan said, raising an eyebrow when the pilot opened her mouth again.

"I know but-"

"Beka?" Dylan interrupted again, Beka visibly taking a slow, deep calming breath before nodding her head for her captain to continue. "Go. Captain's order."

Pausing to glare at the visual, she nodded stiffly before flipping switches and backing away from the warship before her. "I'll see you in a week." she said, smiling, then closed the link and entered slip stream.

Watching as the Eureka Maru left the system, Dylan smiled. It had been a long time since he'd had the entire ship to himself. In fact, even back in the old Commonwealth days he'd only had the entire ship to himself a couple of times. It was nice, knowing that his crew was at ease and that he could sit back and relax, and not worry about a system breaking down because Harper dislocated it, or having to worry about anything else for that matter.

"Where would you like to go next Captain?" Andromeda asked, breaking him away from his thoughts.

"Anywhere but here." Dylan said, the slipstream controls coming up to him. Typing in one of Andromeda's suggested destinations, he watched as the slipstream portal opened once again. There was a swift tug on the hull of the starship before it was pulled in, and within ten point eight seconds, they were out again, in a new, slightly larger, system.

As the ship steadied itself out of the slipstream and into the open space, Dylan relaxed. He was alone on his ship for the next week, and he was free to do as pleased; and all he wanted to do was find some remote little chunk of space to situate Andromeda in, crawl into his soft, fluffy bed, and sleep for a complete 24 hours without any interruption. No code blues, no enemy ships appearing out of no where and opening fire, no conspiracies, just absolute calm.

While he thought about all the things he could do, Dylan failed to notice signs of something going wrong around him. At first some consoles around him seemed to flicker on and off, but then even the Andromeda's AI's visual began to be replaced by her old versions until all three screens just went black. All of this went unseen to him until the lights on the deck went out around him and the main door behind him opened.

Giving into instinct, he grabbed his force lance and spun around aiming, ready to shoot any intruder that would dare disrupt his peace, but no one was there. The door way was empty as was the corridor. Letting himself believe it was a simple glitch that he could fix within an hours time, he deactivated his force lance and returned it to its holster while he slowly began to turn around, only to be shocked again.

Rommie stood off to his right looking fairly beat up and skittish. She wore cargo's he'd never seen on her before and a plain grey shirt, and a sliver of skin was missing from her collar, exposing a small, flashing red light and some silver machinery.

"Rommie?" he said uncertainly. "What are you doing here, and what happen to you?"

"Dylan." she said, and it seemed like she had just realized he was there. "Dylan, I, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure." he said instantly. "But what's wrong?"

"I need you to promise me that you'll do something." she said quickly, ignoring his question.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to activate your close range tracking beacon. The prototype the Commonwealth installed in your neck, beside the implanted com device." she said quickly, robotically, leaving no room for questions though Dylan still got one in anyways.

"Why Rommie? What's wrong?"

"Promise me you'll do it." she said again, ignoring his question. He was starting to get annoyed and a sinking feeling in the pit of his being. Rommie wasn't being normal. She wasn't answering his questions. Something was seriously off.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Promise me you'll do it."

"Tell me what's wrong Rommie."

"Promise me you'll do it."

"Tell me what's wrong Rommie,_ now_." he said, making sure it would sound like an order.

"_Promise me_."

Dylan paused, looking into the androids dark eyes. What was wrong with her? Why was she asking this of him? She was right in front of him and they were both safely inside the ship, _right in front of each other_.

"I promise." he said, watching as a small smile lifted her mouth. "Now tell me, what's wrong?"

The smile quickly disappeared before she answered, and what she did, Dylan felt like someone had grabbed his soul and ripped it from him before he felt forcibly pulled backwards into one the of the bulkheads, his entire body feeling like it was being hit with tiny needles.

"You're about to find out."

* * *

"Hey!" Harper said, watching as the bigger man slammed the door and locked it. "I could sue you for that! That's called abuse!" 

The guard snorted and turned away from the yelling blond boy to take up his post in front of a metal door.

"Harper!" Beka hissed, her cell directly across from his. "Shut up before he decides to shut you up!"

"Like he'd _dare_." Harper said, sending a glare through the uneven and patched bars to the big man at the door.

"Harper, relax." Trace said calmly, he own personal cell beside Beka's. "Perhaps you might want to lie down and relax a bit."

"Lie down and relax?" he quoted, raising an eyebrow. "Gee, thanks Trance, maybe I'll do that." he said sarcastically, promptly moving against his wall to face her in her cell. Closing his eyes for a few moments and taking exaggerated deep breaths, he slowly slid down the wall. Then, a moment later he sprang back up again and sarcastically quipped, "Yeah, no, didn't work."

"She's right Harper, you need to relax." Beka said dejectedly, sitting back against the bars of her cell that faced the little man and ever vigilant guard.

"But we have to get back to Andromeda Beka!" Harper protested, waving his arms for emphases. "She's alone with those idiots, and if they don't keep their mouths shut, she might just kill them."

"So we have to help her." Trance said, finishing off his train of thought.

"Exactly, which is why you need to shut up." Beka finished, cracking a few spots in her back.

* * *

"What, exactly, are those men doing on your ship self AI?" commander Selore asked, green eyes glaring from the image of the AI's holograph to the statistics his own ship was showing him. The warship before him was very well fifteen times bigger then his own ship - and his ship was the largest the systems defense forces had. 

"Nothing that benefits me I can assure you." the hologram replied, he voice slightly more - human - then what he believed was the computers direct voice. "Now, if you don't mind giving me back the rest of my crew, we will more then gladly be on our way momentarily."

Selore raised his eye brows at that. Usually they said right away, not momentarily. He most certainly did not like the way the warship said the sentence.

"I'm sorry, but they were trying to infiltrate the planets atmosphere, and that I can't allow." he said firmly, watching the holograms face for any facial changes. None occurred. "You were assisting them in said crime, so you shall be trialed as they will be."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow that to happen." the direct AI said, her voice most definitely more refined and robotic, and very intimidating as it not only came from the communication link, but also from throughout the deck. "Now, you will give me my crew members, or at the top of the next hour, I will deploy drones, and I will use _force_ to retrieve them." she said, the hologram saying one last thing before the warship cut the link itself.

"Have a nice day."

* * *

"I'm terribly sorry, but no one in the city has seen him." Raki said, standing beside Rhade with Rommie a few steps ahead, just outside of the infirmary. 

"It's alright, we'll find him." Rhade said, nodding his head towards Rommie. "I think she's found his foot prints."

"She can do that?" Raki asked, amazed. He was an android, but could only do a limited amount of things. "How?"

Rhade shrugged slightly, watching as Rommie took four more long strides forwards, stopping at a junction. She looked left and right, before looking down by her feet again. Before her eyes she saw Dylan's foot print lined in green light, all others in blue. Here, he seemed to have stopped for a moment, stepping right a few feet, then returning and going left before coming back and going straight ahead. What was he thinking of doing?

"He broke his ankle." Rommie said, attracting their attention. "He'd only been my captain for about, three years, when we were sent to protect an over lord's daughter for a week. The over lord was trying to peacefully settle an old civil war that was just starting to cool off, and didn't want the Commonwealth to come in and completely take charge, but he didn't want things to go wrong and his only daughter to get hurt.

"So, she and Dylan went off into the mountains. There was a rock slide, and if Dylan had not pushed her out of the way, breaking his own ankle, she would have been killed. Both she and the over lord were grateful, letting us stay for a few weeks so his ankle could heal before going home, and they even updated some of my medical systems. He's favored putting slightly more weight on the uninjured ankle, the right one, since. Being a Heavy Worlder, it's not that much difference, but it separates his foot prints from anyone else's." she finished, walking down the hall some more, making sure she stepped directly in his footprints.

"He seems like quite the hero." Raki said, shocked by the story of bravery.

"Captain Hunt always has been the hero." Rhade said lightly, jogging to keep up when Rommie upped her pace, throwing the front doors open and walking outside.

"Oh no." he heard her say as she knelt down in the short grass, eyes shifting from before her, going all the way out to the tree line.

"What is it?" he asked, standing beside her, wishing he could she what she was obviously seeing, bad news.

"He went out to the tree line." she said, standing. Grabbing his wrist lightly, she traced his path. "He wasn't alone either."

* * *

"Did - did you just _threaten_ him!" Duong asked, slamming his hands on the console's edge, the only thing that separated him and the massive ships holographic carbon copy. 

"I'm a warship - I don't threaten people. I make simple statements and wait for them to either seal their fate - or cooperate." Holo-Rommie said, not turning her head to face him or any of the other crew men as they stared openly at her, eyes wide and jaws dropped.

"He could very well just decide that you don't matter and kill off the final people in your crew!" Duong exclaimed, shocked and astounded.

"That's something he cannot do." Andromeda said confidently. "He's a commander, commanders have codes. Codes demand respect. He knows this."

"Then you think he'll call your bluff?" Oliviera asked, taking a step towards the main consol, where the hologram stood regally.

"What bluff?" Andromeda asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

"About you blowing him up." Mathers elaborated, saying it like it was the most obvious answer. But Andromeda only looked at them again, a strangely questioning yet slightly amused spark in her eyes. To say it was unsettling to them would be doing the look injustice.

"What bluff?"

* * *

"So Trance, what do you see in our near future?" Harper asked, decidedly giving up on trying to complain, annoy the guard, throwing small pebbles at the aforementioned guard, and trying to get Beka to talk. She had zoned out and fallen asleep awhile ago. 

"You'll see soon enough." Trance said mysteriously, smiling at the little man.

At the front of the chamber that held their cells, the guard that hadn't moved since he threw them into their cells seemed to shift. He shifted again, a low groan escaping the metal chair. A few moments later, inside her cell, Trance stood up. Lifting her gold hand to the odd bars, her palm started to glow, and the bar slowly melted into a soft, bronze colored liquid on the dark floor.

Harper immediately jumped up, eyes wide, practically twitching to get out of his own cell. Trance saw this and smiled, first melting Beka's bars so she could come through, the blonde already awake.

Once they were all free, and past the snoring guard, they stalked off towards their stolen ship, being as silent as they possibly could manage.

* * *

He woke up in a dusty room. There was barely any light, and what light was coming through was orange, meaning it must have been somewhere in the evening. 

His body was sore, and he still felt as though millions of needles were puncturing every square inch of flesh and muscle he had, but at least he knew that where he was now was real, and not the illusion of being on his ship where he was warm, and where he felt safe; home.

It was odd. He knew he thought he was there, and there was a voice in his head that he was still hearing, but he couldn't decipher what it was trying to tell him. What it wanted of him. What he felt he needed to do right away.

Either he was hit in the head very hard, or the drug was still working against him.

A few feet away from where he lay, a door seemed to open. More orange light flew through the opening in the darkness, and he quickly shielded his eyes from it.

"Good, you are awake." a heavily accented voice said, and he almost didn't catch what the mysterious silhouette said. "You will be fed soon human, and then brought to the high council. Be ready." and with that, the being left, leaving him back in the musty room, alone, and confused.

* * *

**Hello! I've updated, and it didn't take me a year. Nearly - but not a full year.**

**I feel terrible for not updating this sooner - sooo much sooner, but I've been busy. Then, when I have sat down to write, it just never seemed to come out right. So, my guilt finally got the best of me, and I forced this out. I'm not exactly one hundred percent happy with this chapter, but I've put it out anyways. I hope you're all still willing to read my work after this time, and that you enjoyed this chapter. **

**Have a great night, and I hope to get a review from someone. Even a flame would be nice. **

**_(Yes, I feel that bad.)_**

**(New chapter is in the works, but I don't know when it will be out, so please don't get excited or anxious. Let's just put it this way -- This story has not been _abandoned._)**

**-Kasumi**


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